When Magic Met Insanity
by Whisperer of the Wind
Summary: Her day just kept getting better and better, didn't it? She didn't know who she was, where she was, and some strange man with piercings kept offering her peanuts.
1. The Beginning

**GAJEEL AND LEVY ALL THE WAY! *smiles in a satisfied manner* Welp, now that I've got my lucky intro phrase covered, let's move on with the Author's Note. My friend Lissa (who also serves as my wonderfulamazingawesome Beta) has been bugging me to finally write and post this, and now I am. (You're welcome, missy.)**

**Pairings: mainly GaLe, but there will be others (though I won't give away anything yet *evil laughter*).**

**If you'd like to know more about the setting, it's in the End A/N. You can also review or PM me if you spontaneously explode from any feels you may get before reading the End A/N.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Bad for me, good for the characters (though I still maintain that they would secretly enjoy being forced together in awkward-yet-still-romantic situations). **

* * *

Levy tripped on the pavement and fell to her knees, crying out. Wincing, she pushed herself up and ran. Her knees stung, and she could dimly feel something trickling down her leg.

'_Blood',_ her mind supplied, '_that's blood running down your leg.'_

Her lungs were burning, and she kept gasping for air. But it wasn't enough, it wasn't enough. She still needed more air, but couldn't get any.

"There she is!"

"Levy, wait!"

"Stop!"

Shouts sounded behind her and she flinched, pushing herself harder. She had to get away, she couldn't let them get her. If they got her… Blue locks slapped her face as she shook her head violently. No, she couldn't think of that now. She had to get away.

Dark smudges flashed by her- alleyways, narrow and black. She threw herself to the left and sprinted down one, panting desperately. Mud splashed up and clung to her legs and the bottom of her dress. Trash was piled up around the sides, its stench clogging all her senses.

The alley split ahead and Levy bit her lip. She pushed away her urge to hesitate and analyze, and dove to the right. The shouts were dying away behind her now, growing fainter with every step.

A grim smile stole over her face. She may not have looked like much, but she could haul ass when she needed to. Obviously her pursuers were unaware of that fact.

She kept running, kept taking every twist and turn the alley offered. She didn't care where she was going, as long as it was away from _them_.

Eventually her vision blurred, and she faltered. Shaking her head again, she tried to make her legs move. They did, but slower than before, so much slower. The alleyway was growing darker. She squinted and looked up, but could see only the blurry outlines of dilapidating buildings. Perhaps it was nighttime…

"Uh-!" She grunted in surprise as she collided with a ladder. The loud clanging noises jarred her ears, and she grimaced. So much noise, too much attention. They would find her. She pushed away from the ladder and stumbled along the wall.

Slime coated her hand and she shuddered. Still, she kept going. She had to go, she had to find help. Her vision was blurring again and she stumbled. It must be night, it kept getting darker. Darker and darker- no, night wasn't this dark. It wasn't this oppressive, this suffocating.

When she tripped this time, her arms wouldn't push her up. They gave out and she sobbed in frustration. No, this couldn't happen, not now. She needed to find help, or they would get her too. She had to get help for them…

"Jet… Droy…" She sobbed once more, and then the darkness took her.

* * *

_**3 hours earlier…**_

Levy woke with a start to find Jet covering her mouth. He held a finger up to his lips and motioned for her to get up. She nodded, pushing the covers aside.

Jet walked over to her dresser and quickly pulled a dress out, throwing it at her and motioning for her to get dressed. She slipped her pajama top off and started to pull it on, noticing Jet turn away. He was so embarrassed that she almost smiled. Almost.

As soon as she finished putting the dress on, Jet pushed her towards the window. He pulled them inwards and then fiddled with the outside bars, before pushing them open too. She started at him, confused, and he shook his head.

"Later," he mouthed, and then pushed her towards the windows. She climbed out of them and stood on the windowsill, looking down.

Droy was there, and her waved at her with his arms. _'Just jump,'_ she thought. _'He'll catch me.'_ She closed her eyes and jumped.

Wind whistled by her, tangling her hair in clumps around her head. She clamped her mouth shut, pressing down the urge to scream.

Her head snapped forward when she hit Droy, and the metallic tang of blood filled her mouth. She'd bitten her tongue. Droy put her down gently and looked up at Jet, now perched on the sill. He tensed his legs, ready to jump, and then whipped his head around suddenly. His mouth opened and he looked down at them.

"Ru-" He was cut off suddenly, and disappeared back into the room.

"Jet!" Levy screamed and started forward. Droy grabbed her arms and slung her in front of him, pushing her out of the alley and onto the street.

"Run, dammit!" She stumbled forward but started running nonetheless.

They sprinted down the streets, Droy keeping a firm grip on her arm. Her arms pumped along her sides, and she sucked in air. Her legs cramped and twinged below her, and she winced. Pricks of pain ran through them up into her sides, and she felt her face twist into a grimace.

"Wha- going on?" She gasped out, looking at him through the corner of her eye.

"They- they're coming," He panted out, breathing hard. His chest was heaving, and the hand which was curled around her arm was wet with perspiration.

She look at him, still lost, but he shook his head.

They kept running, following the street wherever it led them. It was dark, but the street lamps were on, guiding their path.

While they ran, Levy's mind raced. She was trying to come up with a solution, trying to figure out what was happening. They were being pursued, yes, but by whom?

Someone (or _someones_, as her mind so helpfully chimed in) smart, to be sure. And strong, or else very sneaky. They'd been staying at the guild, so the person would have had to infiltrate it and worked his (_or her_, her mind piped up again) way upwards from there. That, or they simply came in through a different window on either the second or third floor, where her room was located.

Still, that didn't make sense. Why had the person tried to grab them from the inside? Why not come in through the outside, it certainly would have been easier. Sure, the bars and locked window were good deterrents, but not overtly thick or sturdy.

And why them? Levy wasn't sure whether they'd been after just her or both of her teammates as well. It didn't matter, but the strangeness of it just didn't sit well with her.

She gasped as Droy pulled her around a sharp corner and pressed her up against the wall.

"Droy," She started again, "What-?"

"No time," He panted, looking around the corner quickly. "The last mission, you remember?"

Nodding, Levy bit her lip. "Yes, but what-"

"Listen to me, okay? They've infiltrated the guild, and they're coming for us." His eyes were wild, and he kept wetting his lips.

"No, but I don't-"

"Be quiet!" He hissed at her, and Levy started at him in shock. He'd never taken that tone of voice with her before. "You can't trust anyone, hear me? No one!"

He looked around the corner once more and dragged her out roughly, pulling her along. Levy tried to keep up with his as best as she could, her flimsy night slippers tearing against the rough pavement.

'_They've infiltrated the guild…'_ Her mind drudged up his words. What did he mean? _'The last mission…you remember?'_ She quickly dragged up her memories of their last mission.

It was a simple enough mission: patrol a party for a high-ranking council member. It had been his daughter's birthday, and he didn't want any interruptions. There had been a kidnapping attempt on her last birthday, though it was unorganized and easily prevented, and so hence the extra protection this time around.

It had turned out to be a wise choice on the council member's part, however, as they'd actually caught some trespassers. The daughter had gone out onto the balcony to get away from the claustrophobic room for a few minutes. Two men had tried to snatch her, not noticing the blue-haired girl standing in the shadows.

They'd acknowledged her soon enough.

She'd made simple and quick work of them, as they weren't expecting her. After Jet and Droy had flapped around her for a few minutes worrying, they'd thrown the criminals in jail. After that, it had been a simple matter of collecting their reward and going home. That was almost two weeks ago.

They were still running when they first heard the shouts behind them. Men, though Levy couldn't identify how many. She didn't take the time to look back and count, instead ducking her head lower and trying to run faster.

It was hard, though; she was tired, and thirsty. The last thing she'd eaten was an apple before bedtime, and she had no idea how long ago that was.

Droy was showing signs of lagging, too. He wasn't the young man he'd once been, and it was showing. He'd gained weight- a lot of weight- in the last year, and relied on his magical strength more than his physical strength.

He dropped behind and Levy turned, grabbing at him.

"Come on, come on!" It was she that grabbed his arm this time, pulling him along beside her. He was sweating heavily though, and gasping for air. She tugged at his arm desperately as the shouts continued to grow louder.

"There they are!"

"Hey- you!"

"Stop!"

She yanked on his arm frantically. "Hurry, we have to go!"

He heaved himself forward, coughing violently and almost sobbing. Levy strained, trying to pull him faster than he was going. Faster than he was probably capable of going right now. If this kept up… _No!_ She shook her head. She had to think positive, she had to figure out a way… Maybe the alleys, the slums had to be around here somewhere…

She glanced around furtively, but all she saw was cookie-cutter houses and the occasional guild. The slums were nowhere in sight.

'_Of _course_ not,'_ she thought to herself, almost hysterically. _'Can't have the slums dirtying up prime real estate.'_ She cursed the rich bastards and guilds that were housed there, ignoring the fact that she and her guild were in that category themselves.

A stitch was growing in her side, and Levy glanced back to see how her partner was. She immediately saw that he wasn't good. His face was a deep red color, almost puce. Sweat was rolling freely down his face and his mouth was hanging open. Shuddering gasps and hiccups were coming from him, and his steps were heavy and plodding.

She pulled him down a side street and tried to yank harder.

He slowed down and pulled her around to face him. "Y- you have to-" He doubled over and weakly pushed away her outstretched hands. "Have- leave-" Coughs wracked his body and he gasped for breath.

"What- leave? No!" She reached for him again. "Come on, we have to-"

"No!" He said sharply, and she stilled. "No," He repeated again.

There were shouts again in the distance, and they both flinched, looking around automatically. Levy glanced back at him. "I'm not leaving without you." He was her nakama, she couldn't leave, she wouldn't!

"You don't have a choice." It was as if he'd read her thoughts, but come up with the wrong answer. "I won't make it, we both know it." He was regaining his breath now that they'd stopped. "I'm just slowing you down."

"No you're not!" Tears were pressing against the backs of her eyes. "Come on, we're wasting time, we need to-"

"Levy," He repeated firmly. "You have to go."

The shouts were growing closer, and sounded more numerous now.

"Please," She whispered. "Please don't do this." A tear rolled down her cheek and she swiped at it angrily. She hated when she cried, though it happened a lot when she was frustrated.

"There they are!"

"I see 'em!"

"Come on!"

Droy smiled at her sadly and pushed her away from him. "Don't worry- I've still got one good diversion left in me. I'll hold them off." A bright gleam entered his eye, and he seemed to perk up a bit.

A man rounded the corner and yelled back at his comrades, pointing at them. Droy stood up, pushing her again and snarled at the man.

More men rounded the corner and saw them, whooping with delight.

Levy screamed through her teeth and let the rest of her tears fall.

Then she ran.

* * *

**And there it is, folks! Shorter than what I usually write, but I hope you won't mind _too_ much. **

**Review, review, REVIEW, and you'll get fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. **

**I will try and update every Sunday, as is my norm. **

**A little background info for those of you who are interested:**

**The story in set in Magnolia, Fiore. Everything is pretty much the same (cobbled streets, street lights, etc.) except that modern-day technology will be present. Nothing futuristic like flying cars or anything, but there will be iPods, TV's, etc. Think of it as a Fairy Tail-fied version of New York, if you need a more accurate mental picture. Magic still exists (don't worry) and there are still guilds. However, there are also class divisions just like in NYC. You have the elite upper class with their mini-mansions (this is also where the majority of the guilds are located), the middle class, and the slums. Again, if you have any more questions or want a more specific description, shoot me a review (you'll also get cookies, go you!). **


	2. The Meeting

**And here it is! The second chapter! Slightly shorter than the first (for which I apologize, seriously, so sorry) but still good, I think. **

**Another thing: I am SO SORRY for this being a day late. Usually, I like to post on Sundays, but yesterday I was down in North Carolina. They got hit pretty bad with the storm this past weekend, and even had a tornado pass through. There are a lot of storm victims who need help, so if anyone needs volunteer hours or would like to lend a hand, they could definitely use it down there. **

**Many thanks to my amazing beta Lissa for helping me tweak this chapter to perfection (or at least as close as its going to get).**

**More thanks to my friend Tia for easing my fears and soothing my frustrations when typing this chapter. **

**S/O to SymmetricalGirlDeathTheKid for loving the synopsis to the point of riotous laughter (hope this chapter lives up to your expectations). **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Boo for me.**

**Now, on with the story!**

* * *

Gajeel snarled and smashed his fist onto the table without glancing over.

The alarm clock stopped ringing as parts exploded everywhere. It was an ugly clock, anyway.

He gave a sigh of relief and pulled his arm back under the warm coverage of the blankets. He'd worked the graveyard shift at the bar last night and headed the morning shift at the garage- and then put in a few good fights at the boxing ring. His muscles ached, he couldn't focus on anything- he was fucking tired.

Peace and quiet filtered through the small space and he sighed in relief. He only had a few hours, three tops, before he'd have to head back to the bar. Then the cycle would begin all over again.

Sleep was just coming back over him when a large bundle bounced onto the bed with him. The springs creaked in protest and Gajeel opened one eye, just in time to have a heavy paw put on his nose.

He groaned. "Not now, Lil."

Lily snuffed in annoyance and pawed at him again. Gajeel could just imagine what he was saying- _'I'm hungry, asshole. Feed me.'_

Another paw poked at his face.

A cold nose pressed against his cheek.

When the paw poked his face for a third time, there were claws coming out of it.

"Dammit Lily!" Gajeel jerked up and gingerly touched the thin line of blood running down his cheek. He growled at the cat. "I hate you sometimes."

A thin feline eyebrow seemed to raise, and Lily looked at him despairingly. _'You're the one that brought me here, remember?'_

"I'm starting to regret that decision." He swiped at the blood again. "Tch, fucking cat."

'_You brought that on yourself.' _ Lily sniffed at him. _'Bastard human.'_

He grumbled some more before pushing Lily away from him and throwing his legs over the side of the bed. The floor was cold, but that didn't bother him. The entire apartment was cold, no use in getting upset over the floor.

It was a short walk over to the kitchen- if it could indeed be called a kitchen- and Gajeel rolled his shoulders, trying to crack out all the kinks and aches. It didn't work. If anything, trying to relieve the pain in his shoulders and back only made it worse.

A quick perusal of the cabinets showed precious little food, and from that even less that was be edible for a cat. He screwed his face up and looked down at Lily apologetically.

"Sorry bud, not much here. Guess it's time for a trip to the grocer, huh?" He chuckled darkly at his own humor. Grocer, right. Like they had enough money to go on a shopping spree at some overpriced food mart.

'_You're kidding me, right?'_ Lily meowed in protest. _'We haven't eaten since yesterday morning!' _

Gajeel grunted in acknowledgement and picked up a can of spam. "Well, it's either this or…" He looked around again. "What's left of the bean dip." A container of brown slop was held up. "Pretty sure it's still good." He shrugged.

Lily meowed balefully at him. _'You're pathetic.'_

"Be my guest to go out there and try to scavenge something for yerself, then." He jerked his chin towards the door.

The black and white Exceed glared at him for a few more seconds and then pawed at the spam. Easily breaking open the top, both human and cat winced at the smell. After gagging a bit, Gajeel scooped a chunk out on his finger and held it down to Lily. "Bon appetite."

'_You're fucking hilarious.'_ Still, Lily licked it off his finger slowly.

He stuffed some in his own mouth as the cat ate his share. It tasted just as nasty as he'd remembered. At least the slime made it easier to force down his throat.

The can was almost empty and his finger was almost clean when Lily looked towards the door suddenly, his ears perking up- or ear, rather, and what was left of the other. He padded over slowly and inspected the flimsy piece of wood, cocking his head to the side. For a while, he just sat there, staring at the door. Suddenly he yowled and jumped back, hissing.

Gajeel frowned and walked over to where Lily was growling at the door. The cat looked up at him, and whined. One hand reached down to pick the small Exceed up, and the other reached for the knob.

'_Something's wrong!' _Lily hissed at the door again. _'Leave it alone and let's go out the window.'_ The growls were growing louder the closer Gajeel got to the door, and especially loud when he grabbed the tarnished knob.

"Quiet Lil," he muttered. "Just wanna know what's goin' on." It was his neighborhood, and if some hood was trying to stir up trouble…

The hinges screamed when he yanked the door open, and rust flakes rained down on them. Gajeel snarled at them and Lily swatted the air.

Looking left and right, he didn't see anything. Just trash and semi-darkness. It was getting light out now, which meant his shift would start soon. He groaned internally.

There was the sound of cars honking in the distance, and people yelling. Steam hissed from busted pipes on the sides of the buildings, and there was a constant _drip-drip-drip_ from the misshapen gutters. Every now and then he would hear the clatter of a ladder being lifted or lowered. Cats yowled in a nearby alley, and a dog was barking down the street. Nothing out of the ordinary, in short.

Still… Lily wasn't known for getting upset over nothing. His cat was a better security system than one of those damned alarms, and cost a helluva lot less.

He stepped forward cautiously, and jerked when his foot his something. Looking down, he frowned and squinted. There were piles of garbage strewn around, but they weren't usually so close to his door. Hell, they were on what would be considered his doorstep, if he had one.

Something caught on his foot when he tried to pull it back, and he let out a soft grunt. Nudging forward again, he realized something: the trash was soft.

That in and of itself wasn't that unusual, there was always rotting food and trashed linen littering these parts, as well as dead rats and the like. But they were a decomposing kind of soft, and gave when he kicked them or tried to pull his foot away from them. This didn't. It was soft, yet still firm. And his foot was still stuck on it.

Lily let out an indignant screech when Gajeel dropped him unceremoniously behind him, just inside the doorway. Ignoring his companion's wounded pride, he stooped down and brushed at the trash surrounding his ankle.

"The hell-!" Gajeel looked down in shock. There was a woman- or child or person or whatever- laying face down on the street. There were scratches and bruises on what skin he could see, and dirt covering the rest.

He figured the rain last night must have washed the trash down the gutters and gotten caught on her, essentially camouflaging her from any passerby. Lucky for her- she probably would have been mugged or raped otherwise.

Though judging by the looks of her, that could have been the cause of her current state.

Upon closer inspection, he saw that his foot had gotten tangled in one of her dress straps. He'd been nudging her shoulder and neck, which were the miscellaneous substances that were both soft and firm.

Lily poked his head through Gajeel's head and sniffed at her.

"Well… case solved, then." He untangled his foot and looked down at the girl. "Better go get ready for work." Turning to go in, he hissed as something scratched his ankles.

Looking back, he saw a disgruntled Lily sitting near the girl. _'You're going to _leave_ her here?'_

One shoulder lifted and dropped apathetically. "Don't get yer tail in a twist. Runt's probably dead anyway."

'_And if she's not?'_ Two eyes squinted at him angrily.

"If she ain't then I don't wanna get involved." He turned away again, with the same results. "Dammit! Stop that!"

'_This is a whole new level of bastard, even for you.'_ Lily dug through the trash until he found a limp hand, and nudged at it.

"What the hell ya expect me to do with her?" His voice was growing louder the angrier he got, and he winced, making an effort to quiet his tone. Drawing attention to himself could only make things worse.

'_It's not like you're going to be using your bed anytime soon.' _He licked her hand and meowed at Gajeel.

"…You've gotta be fucking kidding me." He crossed his arms, flexing his piercings in irritation.

Lily raised his eyebrow again and stared at him haughtily.

"Oh, for the love of…" Gajeel muttered angrily to himself as he walked over to the girl and shoved the rest of the garbage away from her. She was even filthier once fully uncovered. Swinging her up in his arms, he snarled and shoved the door back open. The frame rattled with the force he used to kick it closed after him, not caring to look back for Lily. Sure enough, his cat was already sitting on his bed, waiting for them.

The springs barely protested when he threw her on the bed, as tiny as she was. Small thing didn't even make an indentation on his ratty blanket. Lily looked at him reproachfully for his roughness in handling her, but he merely glared back.

Glancing at the dirty clock on the wall, Gajeel swore again. He needed to leave, _now_, or his boss was likely to fire him.

He bit his lip in indecision, staring at the girl on the bed. She didn't look like she could do much harm, but he'd been fooled before…

"Ah, fuck it." Grabbing his vest, he shoved his hair back into a tie and headed out the door again. There was nothing worth stealing anyway, and Lily could take care of himself.

"Make sure she don't screw up anything!" He threw over his should to the Exceed, and closed the door behind him, breaking into a run.

Back inside their makeshift home, Lily rolled his eyes. Like the poor soul on their bed could possibly do any harm. She wasn't likely to even wake up any time soon, not unless they got something into her…

Lily looked back towards the bean dip.

* * *

**Ta-da! Here it is, whatcha think? It's even shorter than the first chapter, and a bit more slow. Don't worry though, things will pick up a bit next time. Or will they? Haha, suspense!**

**Review, review, REVIEW and you'll get German chocolate cake! (Seriously, guys, review. Reading and not reviewing= not cool.)**

**Some things for this chapter:**

**#1. Gajeel may seem a little OOC to some of you, and if that's the case then I apologize. I try to write him as accurately as possible, but sadly I am no Hiro Mashima. Yes, he was going to leave Levy, and that may seem unduly harsh and/or cold of him- but! But but but! He's grown up in the slums, having to fight for everything. No good deed goes unpunished in his world, so try to be a little understanding for the time being. **

**#2. No, Lily cannot actually talk to humans. No, Gajeel is not actually talking with his cat. The italicized words from Lily are what Gajeel perceives Lily to be saying, as Lily doubles as his conscience. **

**#3. Lily may seem OOC, and again if you feel that way I apologize. But he too grew up in Gajeel's world, and it is a harsh world indeed. Have patience. (Plus, we all know he's a big softie at heart.)**


	3. The Second Meeting

**Chapter three! Here it is, people, the first real meeting! Well, the first one in which both parties are conscious. But it still counts! **

**Thanks to my lovely beta Lissa for reviewing, tweaking, and essentially perfecting this chapter for me (as always). Another huge thanks to my friend Tia for keeping me sane while writing this chapter. **

**S/O to Medley Nightfallen for the cute face contained in your review *0***

**Now, on to the story!**

* * *

She woke up… and promptly screeched in terror, scrambling back. Her back hit a wall and bits of plaster fell onto her shoulders. Flinching, she looked around frantically. Where was she? What was going on?

A loud _meow_ reached her ears and she looked down, startled. It was a cat- the same one that had been staring at her when she'd woken up. It was watching her, head cocked to the side inquisitively.

"Shoo- go away!" She fluttered her hands near it.

Instead of moving away, however, it merely cocked its head to the other side. She huffed.

It kept staring at her, so she took a moment to look it over in return. There was a scar running down one side of its face, pulling the corner of its eye down and its mouth up in a slight snarl. That face was what had scared her initially, she realized. Waking up to such an expression had scared her.

The left ear was almost completely torn off, and a small tattered portion was all that was left, close to its scalp. Half of the tail was also missing, though it looked like it'd been cut rather than torn off. She didn't know whether that was a good or bad indication.

Black fur covered most of it, though there were white patches here and there. The dark hair looked soft enough, though it did little to hide the cat's scrawniness. It was by no means emaciated, but she figured it could stand to gain a few pounds.

Meowing again, the cat finally turned from her and jumped off the bed, trotting away. It stopped on its journey, look back at her, and meowed. Then repeated the process. Walk, stop, turn, meow. And repeat.

Confusion filled her. It was almost like it wanted her to follow it. But that was impossible, cats didn't do that.

It meowed at her, almost angrily this time, ear flattened against its head.

"Alright then, I'm coming." She slowly scooted to the edge of the bed and swung her legs down.

"Ah!" Squeaking in surprise, she jerked her feet back up. "The floor's cold." She looked at the cat accusingly.

The look it gave her in return seemed to mock her.

She harrumphed and looked around for some slippers. There weren't any. Actually… she looked around slowly again. Actually, there wasn't really much of anything.

The place she was in was comprised of one room, with two doors and a single window. One of the doors seemed to serve as the only entrance and exit, and the other must have led to the bathroom. The lone window was covered in yellowed newspaper, and what wasn't covered was too dirty to see out of anyway.

There was what she guess served as a kitchenette along the wall opposite the front door, comprised of a small sink, two miniscule cabinets, and a refrigerator. The wall to the left of the door had the bed she was currently nested in on it, as well as a sagging bedside table. Machine parts sat on top of it, the remnants of some technology she couldn't identify. The wall to the right of the door was bare, save for some scattered knick-knacks, and…she squinted.

Were those pieces of _iron_ on the floor?

"Um, alrighty then." She swung her legs onto the floor, this time ignoring the cold. "Time to go." As soon as she stood up however, she cried out, falling back onto the bed.

Pain shot up her legs in violent bursts, and she clutched at them. Tears pricked at her eyes and she rocked back and forth on the blankets. Her fingers formed claws and she bit the pillow. It hurt…

A paw touched her cheek and she sniffed, looking up at the cat. It frowned at her and touched their noses together.

"Thanks." She sniffed and reached up, scratching behind its good ear.

It meowed and curled up beside her, laying its head next to hers on the pillow. This close, she could see every gray fleck on its muzzle and that its whiskers were partially burnt on one side.

"Poor thing," she murmured. "Wonder what happened to you." She paused, looking down at herself. "Wonder what happened to me."

They stayed like that, curled up on the bed together. Eventually the pains in her legs subsided, and she flexed them cautiously. They twinged a bit, but otherwise seemed fine. Still, she was reluctant to get up in case it happened again. As if to encourage her, the cat yawned and stretched itself off. It eyed her shrewdly as it arched its back, its claws making pinpricks in the thin blanket beneath them.

"Well, if you can do it, then I suppose I can."

Instead of swinging her legs over the edge, this time she eased them over and gently pressed them against the floor. She kept her feet still until they'd adjusted to the cold, wriggling her toes against the dirty wood.

Then, she rocked her body back and forth gently, applying pressure to her legs and then putting it back onto the bed. No immediate pain registered and she sighed in relief.

The cat gently scratched at her dress and jumped down.

"I get it, I'm coming." She closed her eyes and stood, bracing herself for the pain. When none came, she looked down and smiled. "Ha! No pain!" The cat meowed happily. "Okay, here we go." She turned slowly in a circle, beaming.

Then the cycles started again. The cat meowed, walked, stopped, looked back. Repeat.

"Fine, if you must insist." After taking a few cautious steps, she followed the cat over to the sink. It jumped up onto it, balancing on the chipped edge. One paw positioned itself on the spigot and reached the other up, stretching towards the cabinet. The paw paused before it could reach it, and it looked back at her.

She reached up and opened it, staring blankly at the sparse contents. "And just what am I supposed to do with…" A container of brown glop was the only thing she could spot, so she pulled it out and showed the can to the cat.

"…Is this bean dip?"

* * *

Gajeel groaned and paused for a moment, cracking his neck. It'd been bothering him all morning. Blowing air through his nose violently, he went back to wiping down the bar.

It was hopelessly dented from the countless fights that had taken place there, and a dullness was always present beneath any shine they managed to create, but it was still sturdy enough. One particular spot was being stubbornly sticky, and no matter how much he scrubbed it still remained so.

He grunted and threw the rag at it. "Damn bar." Staring at it for a few more seconds, he sighed resignedly and picked it back up again.

"Got better things to do than wax the damn wood anyway." He turned around and picked up one of the shot glasses drying near the sink. It squeaked as he wrapped it in the towel and rubbed it vigorously. When it was dry, he held it up to the light and inspected it. No soap spots or water stains. Good. He reached over and stacked it with the clean ones, then started again.

When all the shot glasses were clean, he moved from behind the bar and started stacking the chairs onto the various tables scattered about.

For hours he moved around the bar, doing odd tasks here and there. When he deemed the bar sufficiently cleaned, he nodded to himself. "Guess that's it then."

Walking around to a discreet door near the back, Gajeel knocked on it softly. "Bar's all closed up. I'm heading out." He heard a noncommittal grunt from inside and took that as his answer.

Once outside, he jiggled the knob to make sure it was locked. Not that it would do much to deter anyone who was really determined, but it didn't much matter. There was nothing of value in there anyway.

It was getting dark again as he headed home. All he could think of was his bed, waiting for him at home. He'd take a quick shower, maybe finish off that can of bean dip, curl up with Lily, and then sleep. Sleep, just sleep, for hours on end. He didn't have any work tomorrow until later on, in the evening. No shifts at the bar, no boxing matches, and only one shift at the garage later on. It was going to be a good day.

A nagging thought popped up in the back of his mind, and he tugged at it while walking home. He was forgetting something, something important.

Two dogs ran past him, snarling and biting at each other over a bone. They rolled into him and he snarled, kicking out at them. "Damned mutts! Get outta here!" He hated dogs with a passion. They were dirty, smelly, vicious- the complete opposite of cats, especially his.

His irritation from the sudden canine outburst faded as he walked, and he let the soothing sounds of the slums wash over him. Cars honking, trashcan lids banging- the symphony of the poor. He'd been listening to it since he was born, and it helped him relax better than anything else.

The alley that housed his front door came into view and he smiled in anticipation. All he wanted was to curl up with a tasty piece of iron, munch on the peanuts he'd snagged from the bar, and snuggle with Lil. Hell, maybe he'd even finish off that bean dip.

He opened the door and smiled as Lily came and greeted him, purring against his ankles.

'_It's about time you got home.'_

"Sorry, work ran late. But I did get us some more food!" He held up the bag of peanuts triumphantly. "Plus, tomorrow all the bread in the corner shop will have been stale for a week, so I'm pretty sure they won't mind giving us some- y'know, since they'll have to throw it out anyway." Lily meowed in appreciation and jumped up on his bed, kneading the mattress.

The mattress… Gajeel frowned. Where was the blanket? He looked around, and spied it near his metal pieces.

His metal pieces… that smelled distinctly like they'd been touched by a stranger, upon closer examination.

As a matter of fact, he could smell traces of someone unknown all over his apartment. The bed, all his scrap metal. He followed the scent to his kitchen, and abruptly halted. His cabinet was open, and- he growled. Someone had eaten all his bean dip! He'd been saving that for tonight!

"The hell is going on…" Whoever they were, they hadn't taken anything of value. The screws and handles on the cabinets were still there, the glass on the windows was still present, and none of his metal pieces had been taken.

The only place not accounted for was the bathroom, and it wasn't even that-

The shower turned on.

Gajeel froze and slowly looked towards the bathroom door. The bathroom door which was no longer shut, but instead cracked open and had sounds emitting from it.

Lily jumped off the bed and padded over to him, looking up. _'Someone's in the shower.'_

"No shit, Lil." He muttered darkly, moving slowly over to the door. He wasn't sure what kind of burglar would be idiotic enough to stick around and take a fucking _shower_, but he didn't really care at the moment.

After the last time he'd had to deal with a break-in, no thieves had come within one hundred feet of his home- at least not with intentions to rob it. It seemed the people around here were in need of another reminder.

More sounds came from the bathroom, and he tried to keep his footfalls quiet as he edged closer. He peeked through the crack in the door and saw a flash of skin. Waiting until the person had their back turned, he kicked the door open and snarled, raising-

It was a woman.

A naked woman.

There was a naked woman in his bathroom. A naked woman who was currently screaming and trying to fit herself between the tub and the wall.

"The hell-" Why was there a woman in his…oh. Goddammit.

He looked down at Lily, who was peeking inside at the commotion. "Thanks for the warning, asshole."

'_You're the one who forgot about her.'_

She was still screaming. And still trying to push his tub away from the wall so she could hide behind it. The tub was actually bolted to the floor, though despite that she'd managed to squeeze herself behind it. Huh. Shrimp must've been scrawnier than he'd thought, if she'd pulled that off.

'_Well?'_ Lily was looking up at him accusingly.

"'Well' what?"

'_Are you just going to let her keep screaming? Do something!'_

Rolling his eyes at the feline, Gajeel looked over at the girl. Who was still screaming. He growled and stalked over, wincing as the screaming reached fever pitch.

"Shut _up!_" He yelled at her and kicked the tub. She shut up.

He rolled his shoulders and concentrated on trying to get the ringing out of his ears. Mavis, how could such a small girl scream so loudly? Speaking of…

The girl was quivering behind his tub, sniffing quietly and looking like she was trying not to cry. Still, the tub couldn't quite hide everything. His eyes roamed over what skin was visible to him, and he frowned internally. No breasts, barely any hip, too tiny to have real legs- how disappointing. _Still, at least she's…interesting_, he mused. Blue hair- didn't see that around often. And pale skin, another thing that wasn't exactly common in the slums.

She hiccupped pathetically and he snapped back to attention. Her lip was caught between her teeth, where she was gnawing at it, and a blush was starting to form (he assumed it was because she'd noticed him staring, but it could also be the nudity).

'_You're making her nervous!'_ Lily growled at him.

"It's not my fault!" He snapped.

"Who… who are you talking to?" He and Lily looked towards the girl. She was staring at him like he was crazy. Ironic.

"No one." Shaking his head, he tried to focus back on her. "Uh, who are you and why are you in my house?" Beating up a defenseless woman didn't sit well, even with him.

'_But leaving one to die does?'_ The feline glared at him angrily.

"I thought she was already dead, it doesn't count." He muttered.

"Excuse me?" The shrimp spoke up, looking slowly between him and Lily.

"Nothing." He groaned internally again. "Just answer the damn questions." Lily meowed at him. "Please," he grunted.

Another sniffle, and then she looked up at him, lost. "I'm here… because I woke up here. I'm sorry, I didn't know it was your house." She winced. "I mean, I know that logically it's _someone's_ house, but I just didn't-"

"Yeah, yeah- shut up." Another meow. "Please. And answer the other question."

She looked at him questioningly. "The other…?"

He looked towards the ceiling and tried to remain calm. "The other question, yes. Who. Are. You?"

"I…I don't know."

And then the tears broke loose.

* * *

**And there it is! Their first meeting! Was it everything you'd hoped it would be? I know, it was a little more tempered than I'd originally intended, but I still think it turned out okay. Still, I want to know what you think, so drop me a review or PM or telepathic message!**

**Review, review, REVIEW and you'll get Oreo cheesecake. Or any other cheesecake, if you come from an alien motherland and don't like Oreos. **

**Some things for this chapter:**

**#1. I know Gajeel's day wasn't all that interesting, but just try to read it out and stick with it. (It will get better, I swear. Scout's honor.)**

**#2. Keep in mind, Gajeel is not nice.**

**#3. In case some of you haven't caught on quite yet, Levy has memory loss. Temporary amnesia, if you will (or is it temporary? Haha, cliffhangers!). **


	4. The Dragon Lady

**Ladies and gentleman, I give you (cue drumroll) the _fourth chapter! _(cue applause and cheering) Thank you, thank you, I know. Seriously though, thank you guys for all the follows and favorites and reviews. It's awesome, you guys all rock. On a more unpleasant note, sorry this came out so late. I know it's still on a Sunday, but it's 9 o'clock PM here and that's late for me, especially when it comes to publishing a chapter. So sorry :(**

**Thanks to my amazing beta, Lissa, for giving me little suggestions that only made this chapter better and caught the little mistakes that would have made it worse. Also, some more thanks to Tia, who gave me inspiration for the clothing bit and the bands mentioned. **

**S/O to Confuzed-Anime-Fan, who took a stand and defended Levy's ass. I, too, agree that her derrière is quite spectacular (Gajeel just hasn't realized it yet). **

**On a side note, Happy Mother's Day!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own. Otherwise, the guilds I mention later on in this story would totally be bands. **

**Now, on to the story!**

* * *

'_Do something!' _Lil glared at him. _'She's getting my fur wet!'_

He rolled his eyes and looked around. The only real clothes he owned were on his back, and any other items wouldn't be enough to cover her.

'Not that there's much to cover, anyway,' he thought to himself. It would figure that he'd get stuck with the one amnesiac, half-naked woman without any breasts in the world. Such was his life.

Maybe he could bum some clothes off a neighbor. Did he have any female neighbors left?

Kelly got pregnant again and moved in with her newest boyfriend, but her "relationships" never lasted long. Still, it would be another week before she was back. He couldn't wait that long.

Miranda was with her favorite client in Long Island at the moment, since her client's wife was away for the weekend.

Vivian didn't wear woman's clothing, and she lived too far away.

Jane… no, Jane got stabbed last week.

Maybe Tony would lend him some clothing. Tony only needed his dresses two days out of the week anyway, since the cross-dressing club was only open on Mondays and Fridays. Then again, Tony wore a size twelve dress size (he'd been bitching about it a few weeks ago, and how he needed to 'watch his shape') and the girl on his bed looked like she wore a size negative.

But that only left… goddammit. He nearly groaned out loud. That only left Porlyuscia, and he hated to bother her for anything. Old witch was more likely to stab him than help him. She was a skinny old witch, however, and might have some old clothes that could fit the girl.

Giving in to the inevitable, he walked over to the sink and reached behind it, biting his lip in concentration. His hand was too big to fit, and he needed to find a new hiding place, but that would have to wait. After a little maneuvering and a bit (a lot) of cursing, he drew out the knife triumphantly. It was an old switchblade, one of his first. Tried and true, albeit a little rusty.

He shoved it in his back pocket and walked over to her. "Hey," he snapped. She squeaked and peeked up at him from Lily's fur. "I'll be right back." He turned away, then paused. "Don't go anywhere," He added as an afterthought. It wasn't like she could, but still. Better safe than sorry.

"Wait!" She called out as he neared the door. "Wh-where are you going?" Her voice was halting and timid.

"Out." He reached for the door again.

"Out where?" She called after him. Her voice was less hesitant this time.

"Outside." He spoke through clenched teeth.

"Well _obviously_," Sarcasm colored her voice. "But I was referring to your destination, not location." A small smile stole over her face.

"Big words for somebody who can't remember their own name." Her smile dropped. There was a twinge of guilt at that, but he shoved it away.

"You don't have to be so mean." Her head was slowly lowering itself back to its hiding place behind Lily's fur.

"And _you_ don't have to be so curious. I'm going out, and I'll be back soon. Stay here, don't move, and try not to get into anything." He waited until she nodded, and then left.

And for the first time in as long as he could remember, he locked the door.

It was pitch black outside, and only the dim light of the streetlamps broke the darkness at random intervals. He counted the alleys in his head, turning left at the eighth opening and walking until he came to a brick wall at the end. Jumping up, he grabbed the edge and hoisted his body on top of it.

He huffed and brushed his clothes off, looking upwards. Not a star to be seen in this dump, only smog and ash. A shame, really.

A trash can fell over and a kid screeched in response, rousing Gajeel out of his musings. Shaking himself, he walked along the top of the wall carefully, stepping around crumbling bricks and large cracks. He followed the wall almost a block, hands stuffed in his pockets. The comforting weight of his blade was pressed firmly against his back.

When it came time, he stopped and looked around, making sure there was no one to follow him. If someone else figured out how to get into Porlyuscia's house because of him, she was sure to tear his skin off with her bare hands. The woman had a home like a military base, complete with barred windows and a fake front door.

Jumping up, he reached blindly into the shadows, repeating the process until his hands closed over a metal bar. He grinned triumphantly and let gravity pull both him and the ladder down.

Ignoring the metal clangs and shrieks, he pulled it down until it was level with his feet. Then, he climbed. He climbed until he reached a set of heavy bars that covered a boarded up window. After wedging his feet into the bars and grabbing one for a more secure hold, he used the other hand to pull the ladder up.

Then, he waited. The old woman already knew he was here, she knew whenever someone can within twenty feet of her home. Now he just had to wait until she decided whether or not to let him in.

Twenty minutes later, and he finally saw the boards come down from behind the window. Pale hands came into view and unlocked the window, pushing the pane up. She also unlocked the bars, but still kept them in place, effectively keeping him trapped outside clutching her window.

Pink hair came into view, along with a hard eyes and a formidable scowl.

"What do you want?" She snarled at him.

"Can I come in?" He probably looked ridiculous, hanging onto her window like a monkey.

"Depends. What do you want?"

He growled in annoyance and answered reluctantly. "Not that's it's anyhat'd in annoyance and answered reluctantly. " of yer damn business, but I need some clothes." A pause, and then, "Women's clothes."

She sniffed at him disdainfully. "I always figured there was something off with you. If you want to start cross-dressing, I'm sure Tony can-"

"Not for me!" He snapped at her. This woman… "It's for… a friend."

One eyebrow quirked upward. "You don't have friends."

"I came here for some clothes, not an inquisition. Are you going to help or not?" Cramps were starting to form from all this crouching.

"I suppose so." Her lips pursed into a thoughtful frown, but she stepped away from the bars and allowed him to push them inwards. As soon as they were inside her apartment he dropped from them, grateful. When he stood up he stretched his back, flexing his hands above his head.

"Thanks," he grunted.

She made a 'hm' sound and ushered him into the kitchen.

"Here." His hand flew up just in time to catch the apple that was thrown at his head. "Eat something healthy."

"Don't need your charity." He mumbled, but still took a bite. Not eating it might offend her, and that was never a good idea.

"Stop being obstinate." She eyed his form. "You look as raggedy as that mangy animal you saw fit to take in." A 'tsk-ing' sound came from her.

"Lily's not mangy!" He protested.

"It's probably given you fleas and rabies." A sneer curled her lip. "I'll have to disinfect in here after you leave."

He took another bite and spoke through the bits of food rolling around. "Gee, you really know how to make a guy feel welcome." Bits of the apple flew out, and he smiled to himself when he saw her flinch in disgust.

"It's a gift." She glared at him. "Wait here." He nodded while she briskly walked out and down the hall, towards the direction of her bedroom. As he ate the apple, he could hear her rummaging around.

A bunch of grapes caught his eye, and after he polished off the apple he grabbed those and started in. They were red, not green, but he supposed he'd have to make due. After these, he could grab those graham crackers he saw near the toaster.

"Here." She came back in with a load of clothing and unceremoniously dumped it all on the table. "What size do you need?"

"Small."

Another glare and silent snarl.

"What? She's tiny, about yea high," He held up his hands around his stomach area, "and around yea wide." His hands moved until they were about a foot apart.

"Hm." She still sounded like she didn't believe him, but let the issue drop. "Fine, then how about…" One hand reached into the pile and pulled an article out. "This?"

It was a long, red dress with white buttons down the middle.

"It might work." Gnawing his lip in thought, he tilted his head. "Maybe if I ripped it in half, or-"

"Certainly not!" She interrupted him, offended. "Good grief, if she's really that small…" Three more pieces were pulled out.

One was a t-shirt with the band _Blue Pegasus_ on the front, with neon paint splattered all over it and signatures scrawled across the back.

"You sure?" It would fit his girl all right, but it looked like it was vintage, from when the band first came out. It even had Ichiya on it, and he had retired long ago.

"Yes. It's not dignified to wear such clothing, and I wish to erase every memory of that band from my mind. It's become a disgrace to the music industry."

Gajeel rolled his eyes, but accepted the shirt nonetheless.

The second piece of clothing looked like it had come straight out of Woodstock. It was a short tie-dye dress, complete with a fringe at the bottom.

"Hold on, I think there's a vest that goes with that." She dug through the pile and smiled fondly when she found it, holding it up for his inspection.

It was a tan vest, with beads and patches all over it. There was even a stitched happy face at the bottom.

"What, no head-scarf or sunglasses?"

"Unfortunately, no." Ignoring his sarcasm, she handed over the third piece.

It was some sort of horrendous blend of shirt and shorts, all in one. He looked at it in horror. "The fuck is this?"

"Language!" She reprimanded him. "And it's called a jumper. It was quite in fashion when I was young."

"How the hell do you get in it?" The bottom consisted of jean shorts, but cut off abruptly to give way to a tank top with a bright peacock design on it. He looked over it, but found no zipper or buttons.

She snatched it from him and glared. "Watch carefully." After laying it over a chair, she held up the shirt portion for him to see. "See these?" The straps of the tank top were held out, and she nodded towards… oh. There were buckles at the top. "You undo these, and then pull it on as you would a pair of pants, except you keep pulling until it covers your entire body. Then, you just re-buckle these."

"One more question."

"What now?"

"How did you fit into this?" He laughed and then yelped when she slapped him upside the head.

"Stop sassing me."

The side of his head throbbed and he winced regretfully. He really should learn to stop antagonizing her- his body couldn't take much more of this abuse.

She went back to the pile, and ten minutes later he was ready to head back. They'd found a yellow polka dot bikini top (though no bottoms), a pair of blue shorts with white seahorses emblazoned on them, another vest (this one a white crochet covered in sparkles), and a second band t-shirt (this one featured _Quatro Cerberus_, a band so old even he couldn't identify it).

They were walking back towards the window, all the clothes safely encased in a plastic bag, when he noticed the mess of papers scattered over her living room. Unusual, since her home was usually spotless.

"Trouble at work?" It was the only explanation he could think of.

"Just a bit, though I suppose we should have expected it. We've come thus far without any complications, there was bound to be trouble at some point or another."

"True enough." He shuddered. "Still don't see how you can work in that place."

"Well, someone has to."

And with that, she closed the window behind him and he headed home.

* * *

**Still really short, I know, and I'm sorry. Like I've said before, I'll try to start making the chapters longer. (Really, I will try.)**

**Review, review, REVIEW and you'll get chocolate-covered strawberries! (Or bananas, if that's your thing.)**

**Some things for this chapter:**

**#1: The interaction between Levy and Gajeel was short, but I hope her real personality is starting to come through to you.**

**#2: I view Porlyuscia as a sort of paranoid, harsher Professor Minerva McGonagall type character. If that bugs you or makes her seem OOC, sorry.**

**#3: Any guesses as to where she works? C'mon, be creative, inspire me!**


	5. The Job Interview

**Duh-duh-dddduuuuhhhhh! The fifth chapter is here! **

**Finals are coming, exams are upon us, SOL's are imminent! I myself suffer from these three afflictions, and to anyone else who also suffers: I salute you, my brother, sisters, comrades in arms. Fair answers and following results. **

**S/O to dheavenlymango- I like the way you think.**

**Special thanks to Lissa, my amazing beta, and Tia, who always gives me good pointers.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own. But if I did, oh, the things I could do!**

**Now, on to the story!**

* * *

"How old is this shirt?" She called out to him, seated on the edge of his bed.

"No telling. The owner's old as fuck."

She rolled her eyes and walked out, jumping atop the bed happily. Lily immediately plopped down on her lap, looking up expectantly. Dutifully, she started scratching his neck and ear.

"Tch. You should be more careful." An urge to snatch Lily away from her rose within him. "He's an alley cat, they're pretty mean."

"Oh, yeah," she laughed. "He looks really vicious." Lifting Lily up to face level, Gajeel frowned sullenly. Lily was lolling in her arms, letting her move his limp form around at will. He even meowed. Disgraceful.

'_Oh, shut up. You're just jealous.'_

"So…what now?" Two bright eyes looked at him eagerly.

"Excuse me?"

"What do we do now?"

"_We_," he stressed the word and motioned between them. "Don't do anything. _I_ am going to head to work in ten minutes. _You_ are going to stay here and not touch anything."

"Well, that's kind of impossible. I'm touching your bed," She rubbed her hand over the flimsy blanket, "And I already ate your dean dip, though it was totally gross, and tried to take a shower." A glare was aimed at him, but he ignored it. "In doing so, I've touched everything in your kitchen and bathroom. _And_," she drew the syllable out, "I'm even touching your cat!" She waved Lily around again.

This time Gajeel gave in to his urge and snatched his cat away. "Stop that!" He pulled Lily close to him sullenly. "Don't touch my cat."

"A bit sensitive, are we?"

"Shaddup!"

She laughed at him, and shook her head. "Fine. When will you be back from work?"

"Tomorrow evening or so."

"_What?_"

"I'm going to be garage until late afternoon. After that I'm pulling the midnight shift at the bar, and then working the ring until tomorrow evening."

"And I'm just supposed to sit on my ass for two days?" Incredulity colored her voice.

A hand rubbed over his face and he sighed. "Look, I don't know, okay? Just stay here and… clean… or whatever." He waved his hands around vaguely.

"There's not enough in this box to clean!" She huffed, crossing her arms.

He groaned, but still knew that she was right. There really wasn't anything in his home that needed vigilant cleaning. But what else was he supposed to say? Hell, he didn't know what to do with her. He hadn't even wanted her! It was Lily's fault, he decided. All of it.

"Well…" She bit her lip and looked at him hopefully. "Maybe I could come with you?" The question was posed timidly, hope barely visible behind the words.

"No."

"Why not?" Dismay came over her.

"Because no, that's why."

"That's not a real reason!"

His hands twitched, and he envisioned how nicely they would fit around her neck.

"C'mon," she whined. "I won't get in the way, I promise."

"No."

She pouted for a bit, and then perked up. "Fine, then. I guess I'll just have to amuse myself."

"You do that."

"Now that I think about it, this place could use a little sprucing up."

Gajeel paused in stroking Lily and looked at her carefully. Something was wrong. There was a bad feeling forming in his gut.

"I can start with that pile of metal junk in the corner. Probably won't fetch much at the market, so I'll just throw it out." A thoughtful pause, and then, "And color, this place needs some color. Pink curtains perhaps, or a nice sunflower-yellow carpet."

"You wouldn't." He glared at her.

"Of course, purple and orange are also good colors."

"Look here, Shrimp-" He began.

"And another thing," She interrupted. "It's awful lonely around here, on account of me not being allowed to pet Lily, but we can fix that. Plenty of stray dogs looking for a home out there, you know." She beamed at him brightly.

"…I suppose I could work something out."

"Wonderful!" She squealed and hugged his arm tightly, jumping off the bed and twirling around again.

She stopped suddenly though, looking down at her feet. "Um, do you have any shoes I could borrow?" The _Blue Pegasus _shirt fit well enough, and was long enough on her that it could pass as a small dress. The bikini top was serving as a makeshift bra, and they'd managed to salvage the pair of panties she'd been wearing upon finding her.

Gajeel sent a silent thanks to whatever deity had been looking out for them on that one. Going back to Porlyuscia for something like bras and panties didn't appeal to his sense of self-preservation.

Despite all that, she still had no shoes. Porlyuscia had never been a fan of flip-flops, even in her hippie days, and the rest of her shoes were for work.

"Damn, forgot about that. Hold on." He sat Lily down and got on the floor, reaching under the bed. There was a small crate, barely noticeable, at the head of it. He brushed his hand along the wooden boards until he bumped into it.

Pulling it out, he opened it carefully, almost reverently. There was a scrapbook of his sister in here, an old teddy bear (a gift, from his pa to his mother), his first pair of boxing gloves, and other odds and ends from his childhood.

He pulled out a scruffy jean jacket and an old pair of work boots. They weren't much, and he was loathe to let her wear them considering their last inhabitant, but they didn't have much a choice.

"Here," He said gruffly, thrusting them out at her.

She took them carefully, perhaps sensing his emotions concerning the clothing, and sat down to pull them on. The jacket was too big, but would keep her warm, and seemed to match the hipster look she was inadvertently giving off. The boots only added to that image, as they were loose around her ankles and left untied.

"Alright." Brushing off the shirt as she rose, her hands formed small fists and planted themselves on her hips. "Let's go."

A noncommittal grunt was her only answer, and then they left.

* * *

"What am I supposed to call you?" Gajeel mused, looking down at her.

They'd stopped quickly at a local grocer that he went way back with (Gajeel said they used to box together sometimes) and the man had been nice enough to give her an apple and a bottle of soda. The apple was bruised and the label on the soda was misprinted (this apparently meant they were unsellable) but she still liked them. They tasted fine to her.

His question broke the concentration with which she was eating her red treat, and she thought about it silently.

"I don't know," She admitted after a while. She couldn't remember her own name, and nothing she'd heard called on the street rang any bells.

"S'pose I could keep callin ya Shrimp…" He stopped at the look of distaste on her face. "Or not."

"I don't like that name. Or Shorty," She added before he could suggest it. "Or Tiny or Blue or anything like that."

"Well then what the hell do ya want me to do?"

"Suggest some regular names? Maybe one of them will ring a bell." She shrugged her shoulders helplessly and went back to eating her apple.

After some grumbling and curses and what sounded suspiciously like 'fucking cat' and 'all his fault,' Gajeel started spouting off whatever names he could think of.

"Uh, how about Maria?"

"Too religious-y." He shot her a look and she stared back defensively. "What? I'm not a religious person, okay?"

"So, you can remember you're not a fucking catholic but not your name? Great, just great." He grumbled again, and then, "Belinda?"

She scrunched her nose and he moved on. "Nancy? Betty? Linda?"

"None of those sound familiar, or from this century.

"Katie? Kristie? Lizzy?" He tried to come up with more 'modern' names.

"Lizzy…" She said slowly. "Lizzy sounds familiar."

"Familiar like it's yours, or…?" The end of the phrase he left open, unsure how to end it.

She scratched her neck slowly, shaking her head. "I don't know. I don't _think_ it's mine, but…well, I wouldn't know, would I?" Looking up at him sardonically, she shrugged her shoulders. "Might as well use it, right? It sounds about as good as anything." The apple was calling to her again.

"Lizzy it is, then." He nodded, and they continued on.

The garage rose up in the distance, a squat, rundown building that was blue once, but had since faded to a dull gray. White letters were painted across the front in cursive, spelling out '_Leo's Garage' _to the world. Cars were everywhere; inside the garage being fixed, outside the garage being tinkered on, parked in the small lot, lined neatly out front ready to be picked up, behind the barbed wire fence waiting to be scrapped.

There were people swarming everywhere, too; mechanics of all shapes and sizes working on the cars, tow-truckers dropping more cars off, customers waiting or complaining, paper-pushers running the car files around, interns hoping to become full-fledged employees, actual employees like the custodians, and even normal people who had no reason to be there, except to shoot the bull and hope to pick up a free car part if they were lucky.

Gajeel's face relaxed, and she could tell this place was like a second home.

They waited at the crosswalk until the pedestrian turned green, and then sprinted across. Even so, cars still brushed past them impatiently, honking their horns angrily and screaming at them from opened windows.

The smell of oil and sweat rose up to greet them the closer the walked, and she wrinkled her nose. It wasn't a wholly unpleasant smell, just different. She didn't know how to feel about it.

He led them to a door simply labeled '_Leo_' and knocked, then motioned for her to wait outside when a faint 'enter' reached their ears. She nodded to show she'd wait, and then he went in. Before the door closed behind him, she glimpsed a broad-shouldered man with red hair rising to greet Gajeel warmly. The man's eyes swept past Gajeel briefly and caught hers, surprise flashing in them, and then the door closed, cutting off their connection.

A lopsided pile of tires was to her left, and she wandered over to it. There was dirt and grime covering the tires, however, and she was reluctant to dirty her shirt. She'd been lucky that Gajeel had managed to get the clothes he had, despite the lack of underwear. And besides, if she mussed up these up there was no telling when she'd be able to get more. Best not to risk it, then.

Resigned to standing until Gajeel had come to fetch her, she pursed her lips and hummed to herself. Her arms swung loosely at her sides, clapping together on each side of her body.

Workers rushed around, carrying rags and miscellaneous parts, barely sparing her a curious glance before moving on. Perhaps they thought she was just another customer, waiting for a mechanic or for Leo.

"_Psst!_"

They certainly wouldn't expect her to be here with Gajeel, she was sure. They were so different, yet got along so well (in her opinion, anyway).

"_Psst!"_

She knew she annoyed him to an extent, but also thought he sort of liked her. He'd taken her in, and given her clothes, hadn't he? If he hated her, he wouldn't have done those things. He would have left her in that awful alley or kicked her out once she'd awoken.

"_Psst!_"

Her head whipped around, searching for whoever kept making that annoying hissing sound. It was getting on her nerves and breaking her concentration.

A man popped his head out from around the corner and hissed at her again, before disappearing. Slowly, cautiously, she walked over to the corner. She wondered if her mother had ever warned her about strange men. She couldn't remember. Gajeel had, though, so really there was no excuse for this stupidity.

But what could go wrong, she reasoned, in such a busy place? There were people everywhere, probably cameras, and Gajeel was sure to come back for her soon. So what was the harm? Maybe he needed to know where Leo's office was, or thought she was a worker, or…something.

The head popped out again, and a hand darted out, motioning her closer. She followed, still apprehensive. Turning the corner, she found the man crouched in a small alcove with a broken phone in it. The man was slim, scrawny even, with orange hair and strange clothes.

This man was strange, but did not scare her. Which was odd, she was sure, but couldn't pinpoint why exactly she had no fear of him.

"Are you safe?" He kept his voice low, a hoarse whisper.

Bewildered, she stood there silently and opened and closed her mouth, at a loss.

"_Are you safe?_" He whispered again, more urgent this time.

"Um, yes, I suppose, but-"

"Good, good. Have they found you?" His eyes darted around quickly, not resting on anything too long or making eye contact with anyone. The action caught her attention, and she tried to answer so as to not make it obvious that she was watching him watch things.

"Well, not so much a 'they' as Gajeel, and he's just-"

"Can you trust him?" The man interrupted again, and she felt a quick rush of irritation. Who was this man, to be questioning her? He didn't know her, she didn't know him, it wasn't proper! But even as she thought this, something stirred within her.

The man repeated his question, forcefully, and she answered an affirmative.

He nodded, seemingly satisfied, and asked her another question. "Have you found any information on them?"

"What are you talking about? What-"

"It's not a lot of time, I know, but keep trying." His eyes darted around again, watchful, intent. "I have to go."

"Go where? Who are you?"

"I'm-"

"Lizzy!" She whirled around, spotting Gajeel stalking around the corner. "Goddammit, woman, I told you to stay put!" He snarled and paced over to her, grabbing her arm.

The man from the office- Leo- walked around the corner as well, looking at her curiously.

"Sorry, I know," She tried to placate him, "I was just talking to the man."

"What man?" He demanded.

"The one-" Her voice died, though, as she turned around. There was no one there. The man from earlier had disappeared, and the phone booth lay empty. "There was a man, here, talking about-"

"Whatever." Gajeel cut her off abruptly. "Lizzy, this is my boss Leo. Leo, Lizzy." They shook hands, and the man smiled at her.

"I understand you'll be with us for a while, so let's get you started. "

He led them around the garage, spouting off random facts and tidbits about his workers. He said they'd needed a new secretary for some time now, so this was actually perfect timing. She would get a paycheck, part-time at first, and then full-time if she proved to be here that long.

She nodded along and listed halfheartedly, wondering about that man and where he'd gone to. The way his eyes had darted around, the way he'd crouched, it tugged at her.

They passed several small windows, each smudged with fingerprints and dirt. The break room, and office, where he met clients.

"_Jump!"_

She started, stopped, caught herself. Gajeel and Leo hadn't noticed, and she walked on. The voice in her head had come from nowhere, yelling a single word in her mind.

And the voice… it sounded familiar. Low, tinged with panic, a bit gravelly. The man's voice, she realized, the man from earlier. It was his voice.

The man… and while she thought of him, while she concentrated on him and tuned out Gajeel and the garage and the city around her, another voice rose within her.

This voice was a woman's, soft but strong. It whispered to her, but the whisper was sure and clear.

"_Jet."_

* * *

**And there it is! Is she regaining her memory, who are these voices in her head, does Gajeel indeed like her? All these answers, and more, in the next chapter (or not, you never know). **

**Review, review, REVIEW and you will receive warm, gooey cinnamon buns in return. **

**Some things for this chapter:**

**#1. Still not sure if I'm portraying Gajeel and Levy's characters just right, so try to bear with me if you feel they're OOC.**

**#2. Do you think 'Lizzy' resonated with her because it sounds like 'Levy' or for another reason? Review and let me know!**

**#3. What happened to Jet? Where's Droy? Why is the universe spinning out of control?!**

**See you next week ;)**


	6. The Drunken Duck

**Woo! *wipes forehead* What a week! Three SOL's an annotation of a 500 pg. book, all done! Plus, I even got this chapter out earlier than usual! This is a good week, guys, a good week. Also, my tennis team at school is going to the conference championships for the first time in 15 years! Go us! **

**S/O to Ulcaasi who not only reviewed every single chapter in succession upon reading them within the span of a day, but was also kind enough to become an impromptu second beta! You rock!**

**Special thanks to my actual beta Lissa and my grandmother, who was the inspiration for one of the characters (can you guess which one?)**

**Disclaimer: Not mine :( If it was, there would have been (and continue to be) more smexy times between Gajeel and Levy. **

**Now, on to the story!**

* * *

She shuffled the papers until they were in a neat stack and sat them in the bin labeled 'out,' automatically reaching for a new stack from the 'in' bin. This had been her routine all through the morning and into the evening, as the new secretary.

It was a good gig, pretty easy if you had basic math skills and common sense, so she knew she should be grateful and concentrate at the tasks at hand. Plus, she was actually getting a paycheck.

Or rather, Gajeel was getting a second paycheck. She didn't really know her real name or bank account number, and so therefore couldn't get a paycheck. But it was still technically hers. And besides, Gajeel wouldn't steal or spend it, even if it was addressed to him.

Despite knowing these things, she still couldn't wholly focus on her job. She couldn't get that man out of her head. Jet, the voice inside her had called him. She supposed it was as fitting a name as any.

Why had he talked to her? Why had he singled her out, of everyone in the garage, to spout his crazy fantasies off to? She didn't know him, so obviously she didn't know what to say or do. It was just plain weird, she decided. And if that man came back again she would set him straight.

She raked her eyes over the report in her hand. It was a price listing for all the parts each mechanic had bought on the company's time and dime. Everything looked in order, but she reached for the official parts price listings sheet anyway. Leo got one from every shop his employees were authorized to buy from with the company's money, so she would know if someone was padding the price and pocketing extra money.

No one was, as she learned when she was done cross-referencing all the prices. That was a good sign; it showed Leo's employees were loyal, as well as truthful. That was rare in this city.

This type of work was the norm until Gajeel came to get her, saying that it was time to leave. She came willingly enough, tired of looking at endless columns of numbers.

They clocked out (or rather Gajeel did) and walked out of the garage. The smells that had first assaulted her, oil and metal and sweat, seemed comforting now, and she faintly regretted leaving them. The garage seemed to her a safe place, much like Gajeel's apartment. She didn't want to leave it.

But Gajeel was walking on, and he would leave her behind if she dawdled, so she hurried to catch up with him. She tried to shake off her feelings of regret over the garage. It was ridiculous, and he would laugh at her over something so sentimental. Besides, they'd be going back soon enough.

It was getting dark out again, and she marveled at the buildings around her as the sun went down. Shadows were lengthening, and climbing around the buildings like greedy vines. But they were combated and pushed back by the sunset, a prism of beautiful colors that were cast over the same buildings and streets that the shadows inhabited.

The dark and light battled back and forth, each taking over their part of the city. There were areas where only shadows resided and areas where the light reigned. But there were also places where they blended flawlessly, and it was these places that were her favorite.

She loved the idea that two completely different mediums could come together as one and create something even lovelier and more powerful than themselves. It made her hopeful.

But then the sun continued to sink, and the darkness grew longer while the light receded. The rainbows of color disappeared, and murky shadows took their place. It brought her back to reality.

The dreamy thought she'd entertained evaporated, and she sidled closer to Gajeel.

Whereas the garage was on the fringe between the city and its slums, the bar was firmly located in the inner part of the city. It was fairly popular with a variety of clients, though most were middle class to the bottom of the upper class. The bottom of the upper class, Gajeel told her, was mainly comprised of the noveau rich (which meant new money) and those who'd inherited most of their fortune. There were also a few get-rich-quick schemers who'd gotten lucky and jackpot winners every now and then. Sometimes people who'd just turned legal, but they mostly went to cheaper places. Besides that, it was mainly men and women who just wanted a drink after a hard day's work.

The deeper they went into the city's depths, the more alive it became. Lights and flashing neon colors were everywhere, taxis clogged the streets, people teemed around them like ants. Honking horns and curses came from the streets, while vendors shouted their wares from the sidewalks. Woven into all of that was the buzz of the city: tires on the gravel, voices everywhere, the hum of electricity, and the steady beat of feet on the ground, always going, going, going. Smells permeated the air, suddenly there where previously there were none. Food, sweat, trash, sex, rain- all familiar, whether you were from the city or not. Visitor or dweller, New York City welcomed all with a sly smile and an inviting hug.

Shops and restaurants were squeezed together, as well as a smattering of houses and apartments. Skyscrapers soared high into the night, their only neighbors the billboards and airplanes.

She loved it.

They walked on, past hot dog stands with inviting smells and street vendors yelling about magic elixirs. She would have liked to walk a little slower past the food stands, if just to savor the smells a bit longer.

They ignored the bums begging for money and prostitutes offering a good time. She would have liked to walk a little faster past the whores, if just to avoid the dirty glances sent her way when Gajeel refused their services. She might have also liked to stick her tongue out at them, but that was neither here nor there.

Gajeel touched her arm gently, and pointed ahead of them, telling her they were almost there.

It was a brightly lit bar, smashed between a store which provided escorts and a boarded up building which used to be a real estate office. Her companion said he suspected it was a crack house now. Bright white letters underneath a black light informed her the bar's name was "The Drunken Duck." It seemed to her a strange name, but Gajeel said it was because the original owner's wife had been nicknamed Ducky. There were no windows in the front of the building; instead, posters advertising special nights and performers and neon signs informing customers of the bar's 'open' status and various drinks were plastered over the brick front. Two black doors provided the only entrance to the bar, and Gajeel shouldered them open with ease, keeping a firm hand on her elbow the whole while.

The inside of the bar was similar to the outside; there were posters and signs everywhere, and though the majority of the bar was lit with dim lamps, black lights and neon flashes were still present. To the left of the doors was the actual bar, and the shelves of liquor took up the entire wall. A mahogany bar separated the bar tender from the patrons, the only opening near the back where the stock room was. There were stools at regular intervals with red seats. The rest of the room was comprised of booths along the walls and tables taking up the floor space. Two doors were in the back right corner, one with a margarita on it and one with a beer on it. The margarita had a 'W' under it and the beer an 'M.'

People were everywhere- the bar, the booths, the tables. Some weren't even at tables, but instead gathered in clusters in the corners or between tables. Music could be heard faintly in the background, but the clink of glasses and talk of the crowd drowned it out. It wasn't too loud, but it certainly wasn't quiet either.

He dragged her to the back of the room, dodging drinkers and tables. They reached the opening to the bar and Gajeel pushed her behind it, telling her to stay put while he talked to the boss. It was a familiar scenario.

The bar tender wandered over slowly, stopping occasionally to refill a glass or mix a drink.

"Hi," he introduced himself. "I'm Lyon."

"Lizzy," she replied, and reached out to shake his hand.

He nodded easily, and slung the towel from his shoulders to wipe the bar down. "You new here?"

"Sort of." She reached up and scratched the back of her neck. "It's kind of a long story."

"You gonna work here?" Bending down, he inspected the wooden surface.

"I think so." That was the plan, she supposed.

"Welcome aboard, then." Apparently having decided it was clean enough, he meandered back down the bar, stopping whenever a patron gestured to him.

She was saved from having to answer (not that she thought Lyon was listening anymore) by Gajeel's return. He had rolled up his sleeves and grabbed a clean towel which was resting on his shoulder.

Lyon walked back over, throwing his towel into a bin hidden in a corner, and nodded to them before leaving. She thought it a bit abrupt, but supposed he was tired.

Gajeel produced a small apron from underneath his towel, the kind that tied around the waist and had a little pocket in the front, and handed it to her.

"Boss said you could help out, though you won't be getting paid."

She nodded, though a thread of disappointment wove through her. Still, not every boss could be Leo, she told herself, and she should consider herself lucky that both Gajeel's bosses had even let her stay in the first place.

He pulled a circular tray from under the bar and handed it to her. "Just walk around and pick up any bottles or glasses that are empty." The tray was lighter than she expected, which suited her fine. "If anyone asks for a drink, there's a notepad and pen in your pocket. Write down the drink and table number, then come tell me."

"How will I know the table number?" She interrupted.

"It's carved into the middle of each table."

"Oh, that's simple enough."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved his hand at a customer impatiently, who was shouting at them. "If a table looks too dirty or someone asks you to clean it, come back here and I'll give you a rag. If you get lost or too loaded down just grab one of the other girls and ask them for help." She took in the other girls in the room who were working as waitresses. After getting a good look at them, she doubted she'd become overworked.

All the girls were tall and busty, wearing small shorts and even smaller tops, so that their breasts were practically falling out of their shirts. They chatted and laughed with the customers freely, leaning in close to listen and reply. That part wasn't too bad, though she certainly wouldn't have neglected her job to chat. What made her apprehensive was when she saw some of the waitresses in the customers' laps, and how they just laughed when a patron slapped their ass or grabbed some other body part. She was very grateful for her dress and jacket, suddenly.

One of the girls walked by, and Gajeel barked for her to come over. She did so happily enough, and he introduced them.

"Lizzy, meet Candy. Candy, Lizzy." They nodded and shook hands, Candy beaming at her. "It's her first day, keep an eye on her." This was directed to Candy. "Don't screw anything up." That was directed to her. Then he went back to work, yelling at the people to 'calm the fuck down' and that he was getting their 'goddamn drinks already.'

"Hi, I'm Candy!" The girl paused and then giggled. "Sorry, Gajeel already said that. My bad!" She laughed again. Candy was tall, almost six foot, with wavy blonde hair and a heart-shaped face. There were miniscule laugh lines around her mouth and eyes, though they didn't make her look old. If anything, they made her look younger.

"Welcome to the greatest bar _ever_!" Candy gestured around and smiled proudly. "You're gonna love it here, I just know it!"

A weak smile came over her, and her reply was a bit disbelieving. "I don't know about that. I'm not exactly a… people person." She ended awkwardly. One of the waitresses was making out with two men at once.

"Oh, nonsense! I just met you, and I can already tell we're gonna be best friends!" Candy grabbed her arm and dragged her along. "I know it's a bit much to take in at first, on account of how awesome it is," She took a moment to giggle again, "But you'll get used to it real quick! Everyone's real friendly here!"

"That's what I'm afraid of," She muttered, but kept it to herself. She didn't want to ruin Candy's good mood.

Candy was chattering on, oblivious to her discomfort, telling her the best way to stack glasses and the quickest way to wipe down a table. She tried to pay attention, but couldn't help becoming tense and distracted whenever they passed a particularly rowdy table.

Men and women alike reached out to Candy as they made their rounds, but the girl batted them away easily and laughed good-naturedly. Any hurt pride or feelings were quickly soothed with a quick explanation about her new mentor status and a promise to come back later.

After a few trips around to room and to the back of the bar to empty their trays and grab clean rags, Candy stiffened suddenly and grabbed her, leaning in close.

"Those two men, do you see them?" She discreetly pointed to two scruffy-looking men in a corner booth. "I want you to stay away from them, you hear? Leah handles their kind, and only Leah." Candy pointed to a girl with caramel skin and a pixie cut. The girl- Leah- looked tough as nails, and the customers treated her as such.

"Why?" She questioned. "What's wrong with them?"

"They're Chasers." Candy whispered conspiratorially.

With a sick feeling, she nodded and told Candy she understood. And she did. Chasers were glorified bounty hunters, and had a reputation for being ruthless in pursuit of their prey. When people of interest went missing and all else failed, the government hired Chasers. It was rumored that they never refused a job, and that they always got their target. They were also rumored to be extremely bad-tempered, whether on a job or not.

They avoided the table with the Chasers, though they kept a close eye on them. It seemed everyone in the bar did, employees and customers alike. The Chasers paid everyone no attention however, and went on drinking and talking to each other leisurely. After an hour or so, they paid and left.

It was quiet after that, and fairly calm. Several people grabbed Candy again, one going so far as to try and kiss her, but she handled them all with the same cheerful briskness as she had before.

No one grabbed her though (probably because Candy was the more tempting of the two) and for that she was grateful.

This continued for hours and she found herself, surprisingly enough, enjoying it. She liked the constant motion, the hectic motion of the bar. She even found she liked some of the patrons. There was one war veteran who, upon hearing she was new, deigned to tell her all of the funny accidents that had happened. One lady, a widow of thirty years, had eight children, and wanted to tell her about each one. A man with only one eye had six chinchillas (Goliath, Eliza, Brooklyn, Broadway, Lexington, and Hudson). There was even a young woman who was drunk and snuck her hamster into the bar (she had to leave though).

Eventually Candy grabbed her and said it was time for their break ("And you better savor it, honey, because it's the only one you'll be getting before your shift is over"), so they walked over to the bar and sat down on two of the vacant stools.

Gajeel glanced at them briefly and went back to work, though he did slide two drinks over to them. A strawberry daiquiri for Candy and an ice water with lemon for her.

Candy sighed when he left to go mix a gin and tonic and turned to her, whispering, "You're so lucky to have a guy like that. I envy you."

"What?" She was so shocked she didn't know what else to say.

"Not in a mean way of course!" Candy hurried to assure her. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna steal him from you or anything." She stuck her bottom lip out and pouted. "He's not interested."

"Uh…" She didn't get a chance to respond more eloquently before Candy was rushing on again.

"You know, I didn't believe him at first. I thought he was just making it up to try and get me to stop flirting with him. But here you are!" Candy gestured to her. "I guess you're not fake after all. But really, who would have thought Gajeel actually has a girlfriend!"

Her stomach dropped, and she tried to formulate the words to explain to Candy that she and Gajeel weren't going out, they were just friends, he was helping her, that was it!

But before she could, a blast of ice shot across the bar and shattered the shelves, spraying everyone with alcohol and shards of glass and wood. People started screaming and scrambling for the door. There was another blast and one woman flew back against the wall, blood covering her midsection and face. A lance of pure ice was protruding from her midsection, and she clawed at it desperately.

Candy swore and pushed her towards Gajeel, who caught her and put her behind him. Gajeel yanked out his pocket knife and slashed anyone who came too close to them, snarling and swearing. Candy grabbed a nearby broom and swatted at anyone who came near the bar.

More screaming, more running, except the doors weren't wide enough for the crowd. People were starting to try and climb over one another, punching and kicking others frantically. Others were being pushed against the walls by the crowd, crushing them. One man grabbed a broken bottle and started stabbing people, trying to work his way to the front of the crowd. All the while, there were more shards and blasts of ice coming from every direction. They shot out randomly, cutting people and inanimate objects alike.

Amid the chaos and wailing, a man emerged from the stockroom, whom she guessed was the boss. He took in the scene quickly and ran to the bar, grabbing a shotgun from under it and loading bullets as fast as he could.

She grabbed ahold of Gajeel sleeve and tugged at it, yelling at him. "What is it? What's happening."

"Fucking _mages!_" The boss shouted over to them before Gajeel could answer.

Then he started shooting into the crowd.

* * *

**And there it is, folks! Longer than some of the other chapters, shorter than some of the other chapters, it is what it is. Sorry to those of you who may think it too long or too short.**

**Review, review, REVIEW and you can have delicious gummi bears!**

**Some things for this chapter: **

**#1. If anything or anyone seems OOC to you, sorry.**

**#2. Yes, we are officially set in New York City, New York. I debated on this for awhile, and then decided 'What the hell? Why not?' and so that's that. Sorry if that offends anyone.**

**#3. Any thoughts on this chapter? Review! How do you like Candy, who do you think is destroying the bar, which character is my grandmother based on? Review and tell me, or wait for the next chapter! (But will I answer in the next chapter? Ha! Suspense!) **

**#4. You may have noticed the negative inflection in the bar keep's voice when he points out that the person destroying the bar is a mage- this will be explained in the next chapter (a mage is a magical person, for those of you who have stumbled upon this story with no knowledge of FT and are thoroughly confused). **


	7. ACEP

**Oh my god! Guess what? Is it- could it be- it is! It's the seventh chapter! Haha, I bet you thought I was talking about something really important, but no, it's fanfiction. Which is still important, but you know, not news-worthy (not yet- my master plan has yet to take effect). **

**S/O to FallTigerKisa because she watches Gargoyles and that show is amazing and there's need to be more ElisaxGoliath fanfics out there! **

**For those of you who were wondering, my grandmother inspired the character with the hoard of children (my granny had eight).**

**Special thanks to Lissa, my amazing beta who always reads and proofs and gives me lots of tips! (And who also liked the little bit of fluff at the end and got my kind-of obscure reference to an earlier event in the FT series)**

**Now, on to the story!**

* * *

She ducked behind Gajeel once more as the bar owner started firing into the crowd, presumably aiming towards whoever was shooting the ice shards. People were still trying to scramble outside as quickly as possible, and the crowd was rapidly thinning out. Screams rang out, shrill and panicked. The air was thick with the scent of blood.

One of the doors was ripped from its hinges, and the crowd flooded outside. The only person left was a young man standing on a table, liquid sparks running from his fingertips. He was scantily clothed, wearing only cutoff shorts and several medallions around his neck. Laughing manically, he threw another ice lance at them and screeched happily when they had to dive out of the way.

Her entire body was shaking and she let Gajeel push her into the ground, hearing him growl a terse "Stay here." She nodded, though he probably didn't care, and put her arms over her head.

There were more gunshots and then a loud curse, followed by a _thud_ as the owner threw the empty gun to the floor. More laughter and screeching and the soft _snick_ of magic being released.

There were glass shards on the floor, and she studied them closely, trying to ignore her fear. Her body was pumping with adrenaline, she knew, and that was filling her with a giddy sort of excitement, the kind that was so intense it made her stomach ache. Her palms should have broken out in a cold sweat, but instead they just tingled with the need to _do something_ and-

Bright red lights flooded the bar, a bloody color that made the scene look worse than it was. The red was occasionally punctuated with blue and white, and a megaphone sounded out.

"We have you surrounded! Put your hands behind your head and surrender now! If you attempt to use magic we are authorized to use deadly force!" The sounds of tranquilizer guns being loaded and clocked was music to her ears.

"This is your last warning! Surrender now or we _will_ use force!"

The man just laughed again turned directly towards the police, shooting ice at them and screaming. They ducked behind their car doors ad she could hear the curses from where she was curled on the floor. Candy was shouting something to the men and then she could hear Candy's footsteps running off.

"Get back here!" Someone screamed at Candy, and then swore loudly. She thought it might have been Gajeel, but she wasn't sure.

One of the officers suddenly stood up, aiming the ACEP gun and firing three rapid shots at the man. The first two were near misses, and the third was blocked by a hastily-constructed ice shield. "Is that all you got?" The man giggled and made 'come at me' motions with his hands.

More officers fired shots and he blocked all of them, screeching about how pathetic they were. Over his laughing a squealing sound reached her ears and another dart came, this one from behind the man on the table. He turned, his hands already glowing with the intent to create another ice shield. The dart hit his neck just as the shield took form. Ripping it out of his neck, he screamed at the cop and threw the dart to the ground. More darts hit his back and legs and the man's scream died off into a pathetic gurgle, before he collapsed onto the ground.

Police swarmed into the bar, cuffing the man and hauling him off quickly. More checked the perimeter and rushed over to them.

One officer was trying to calm down the raging bartender; another was informing Gajeel that he needed to put the knife down before answering any questions. She heard more voices and then hands were pulling her up. Before she could look at her rescuer someone shoved her sideways and snarled,  
"Don't touch her!"

She brushed hair out of her eyes and looked up at Gajeel baring his teeth at an officer with a mustache that reminded her of a walrus. Huffing, she used his back and arms to pull herself up. He didn't notice, too busy arguing with the walrus policeman about touching her and putting his pocketknife down.

A short time later, she'd gathered enough to figure out what had happened: while the ice man was distracted with the cops out front, Candy had run to the back door and opened it, allowing one of the officers to enter and shoot the man while his back was turned. After that it was a simple matter of waiting for the tranquilizer to take effect.

The walrus officer was called off by an older officer with silver hair and eyes. Gajeel grunted his thanks and looked back at her (finally) to check and see if she was okay. She nodded that she was and he turned back to the silver man angrily.

"The hell's goin on, Pete?" He demanded. The silver man was named Pete, then.

"I'm not at liberty to say, I'm afraid."

"That's fucking bullshit and you know it!"

The bartender looked over at them, alerted to their presence by Gajeel's outburst no doubt, and then joined them. "This is the fifth time in two months," The owner chimed in. "Gajeel's right, we deserve to know."

Pete looked back and forth between the two men and sighed. "Look, it's just… complicated. It's getting harder to contain… their kind… and the city's just not sure how to handle it yet so-"

"And what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" The owner demanded. "I don't have the money to keep repairing all this damage, and neither do other business owners."

"The city will reimburse anything you've-"

"That's not good enough! The city can fix my doors, sure, but can they fix my reputation? No one wants to come to a bar that's known for being a mage's target!"

The officer tried to reassure him again and the owner cursed at him, stomping off as quickly as he'd come. Resigned, Pete turned back to Gajeel and addressed him. "It's frustrating, I know, but we're doing all we can."

"… So it's getting worse, then?"

Pete nodded. "The city doesn't know what to do. The department's getting twelve times more magic-related reports than usual, and the jail's say they've had a noticeable increase in criminal mages. Even the institutions are having trouble keeping them in, and you know how careful they are! Hell, one escaped from the place four blocks over just last week!" His hands waved around helplessly. "We're trying, but it's just…"

Gajeel nodded, holding up a hand to stop the officer. "I get it. I'll talk to Dave, okay? You know how he is- quick to anger, quick to cool. I'll take care of it."

"Thanks." Pete sounded both relieved and grateful. "I appreciate it."

He grunted in response and they left it at that, shaking hands briefly before the officer left. After watching Pete walk off, he looked down at her. "You okay, Shorty?"

She shoved his arm. "Don't call me that! And I'm fine. What was that all about, anyway?" Her eyes flitted over the damage, taking in the broken glass and destroyed sitting area.

"Mages, as usual." She looked up at him questioningly and he grumbled before further explaining. "There's been a spike in magical crimes lately and people are questioning the government's capability in dealing with mages."

"Why?"

"Why what?" He looked down at her shrewdly.

"Why have there been more magical criminals?" The words sounded wrong in her mouth, and she twisted her face in distaste.

Gajeel shrugged. "Dunno. Some people think it's the new laws about magical containment." He tsked. "If that's the case though, they should take it up with ACEP, not the feds. ACEP's the one running the show."

"What's ACEP?" Her brow wrinkled in concentration, but she didn't think she'd heard of them before.

"ACEP stands for the Association for the Containment of Enchanted Persons- they've been driving all the new laws about restraining mages and propaganda about how magic negatively affects the community." His lip curled in disgust and he spat on the ground. "Buncha idiots talking shit outta their ass, if you ask me."

Confusion clouded her mind. Why did these people dislike mages so much as to form an actual committee against their presence in society? She'd never met a bad mage- not that she could remember, anyway. Which probably didn't prove anything, but still.

She told Gajeel as much and he ran his hand through his hair, yanking at the tangles in frustration. "Who knows, Shrimp? Maybe they're afraid of magic and it's as simple as that."

"But why would they be afraid?"

"Because people don't like things that they can't control. And they can't control magic, so they're going to do their damndest to destroy it instead."

Just thinking about something like that made her want to cry. It was awful, to want to kill something because you couldn't own it. "But that's wrong!"

"Maybe. Probably." He shrugged. "But who gives a shit? Mages are usually either poor or crazy, and nobody cares about those kind of people."

Tears gathered in her eyes and she stomped her foot in frustration. "But that's not _fair_!"

"Yeah well, we do the best with what we have. Like it or not, that's just the way it is." He growled at her. "I'm tired of talking about depressing shit like this. C'mon." His hand snaked out and latched onto her arm, dragging her along beside him as he started walking.

"Where are we going?"

"Home, until my shift at the ring starts. There's no more work to be done here."

Looking around at the broken tables and shattered shelves, she thought differently and told him so.

"City'll take care of it. Let's go." He shoved her through the remains of the front doors and marched her back towards their apartment.

She stewed quietly, still upset at his blasé attitude towards the unfair treatment of mages. They'd come so far as a species, legalizing gay marriage and updating the archaic laws of child custody- they'd even come to an agreement about abortion and birth control! But they couldn't even realize that they were treating the magical community with discrimination and undue suspicion. It was outrageous! She was almost personally offended by this information.

As they walked, her anger simmered down. Soon enough, it disappeared altogether, leaving her drained and in need of a nap.

Gajeel must have noticed how tired she was, because he shook her a bit and reassured her that they were almost home. She nodded sleepily and plodded on. Dimly, she wondered where her sudden anger had come from. She didn't personally know any mages, so why was she so upset on their behalf?

Or perhaps she did know a mage, but couldn't remember, and that was why her automatic response to the unsettling news had been outrage. Who knew? She certainly didn't. That thought was as depressing as the status of magical people.

The city had calmed down quite a bit from their earlier walk, she reflected. The street vendors were gone, only the occasional taxi drifted by, and even the hookers had retired for the day. Or was it still technically night? Whatever. It didn't matter.

All the lights were still on, however, and they shone as proudly as ever. The waning of night had not diminished their shine, and neon lights still taunted her from shrouded corners.

Soon enough, the gaudy lights of the inner city faded, and the muted tones of the slums came to take their place. The transition was so subtle that you barely noticed until you'd already crossed over, she realized. She could easily see how people could suddenly find themselves in the slums without even realizing they'd been walking towards them. One minute, city. The next, slums.

That amused her; she liked it, though she didn't know why. It was strange, and she almost laughed out loud. A part of her mused that she must have been extremely tired to have become so slap-happy. That was funny to her, too.

They turned down a side street and rounded several corners. After a bit, she almost imagined that she'd come this way before. She could almost make believe that she remembered this exact path, as if she'd lived with Gajeel for more than just a scant couple of days.

_Maybe it's a message from my subconscious_, she mused, _telling me that I want to stay with Gajeel long enough to be able to recognize this place as easily as he does. Maybe it's my subconscious telling me this is my new home._

It was unlikely, she supposed, but still a nice thought. Gajeel wasn't so bad once he'd softened up a bit, and she had already glimpsed a kind, caring man beneath the hard exterior he tried so hard to exude. Like the way he'd handled that box of childhood memories, or how he'd taken her in, or how much he cared for Lily- a s_treet cat_.

Her eyelids started drooping and she started, trying to keep herself awake. They were almost there, she could make it, just a few more feet. She could stay awake that long, surely. With that new resolve, she tried to ignore the fatigue pulling at her.

But the more she walked the more drained she became, and her lids dropped several times. Each time, they stayed closed longer than the last before she managed to shake herself awake. Finally she stopped, resting against a nearby wall, and rubbed her eyes.

"Hold on," She mumbled to Gajeel, knowing he must be frustrated with her. "Just a sec, okay?"

"Oh, for the love of- forget it." The world spun and she flailed frantically. "Calm down, Shrimp." Following his advice, she realized he'd picked her up again and was carrying her bridal style.

She pouted, upset that he thought she couldn't even make it home by herself. But she didn't complain, knowing it would just irritate him more. Besides, she guessed being carried like this wasn't too bad. His chest was warm, after all, and soft. And she could hear his heartbeat from where her head rested; it calmed her.

As he walked she let the sound of his heartbeat surround her. She imagined his heart was like a tree, strong and sure and protecting all that came beneath its branches. She imagined that she was somehow connected to the tree, and though at first that thought made her hesitate, her hesitation soon morphed into happiness. It was a strange thought, and she wasn't sure where it had come from, but she didn't question it.

Instead, she went back to listening to the steady _thump_ of her tree.

* * *

**And that's it folks! How did you like it? Did you enjoy my sort-of-but-also-not-really bit of fluff there at the end? Not nearly enough, I know, but stick with me. It will grow, I promise. (or will it? Ha! Suspense!)**

**Review, review, REVIEW and you shall receive chocolate nutty bars for your reward! **

**Some things for this chapter:**

**#1. This may not be clear to you, so I shall illuminate: In this world, New York City has advanced and become more tolerant, less discriminatory, etc. But upon the discovery of mages and magic, this advancement has stopped. The aforementioned association, ACEP is an anti-magic group that claims magic and mages are harmful to society. As such, they put out anti-magic propaganda and advance an anti-magic agenda, such as getting anti-magic laws passed. Gajeel helps explain some of this in the most basic way possible: people sometimes hate what they cannot understand. This is a fact that is true even in today's society (unfortunately). **

**#2. Who do you think the ice-shooting man was, and what have they done to him? Review and tell me all your crazy conspiracy theories!**

**#3. What do you think about Levy and her thoughts and/or strange(ish?) dreams? Did you like the fluff? Did you consider it to be fluff? Should I amp it up for the next chapter? Does anyone actually read all of this or any of the author notes? Shoot me a review, tell me whatcha think!**


	8. The Fantasy and the Flashback

**Hello lovelies! Oh my goodness, before I do anything else, I must first do this: I'M SO SORRY. LIKE SERIOUSLY- SO. SORRY. This is a day late- and not even half a day late, it's an ENTIRE day late. Again, I apologize. It's been a hectic week for me, and I got caught up in some stuff. Still. I'M SO SORRY.**

**Now that we've gotten that covered...**

**S/O to MistyQueHarper, who finally reviewed! I'm glad you think Gajeel is so much like the real FT Gajeel, and that this will (in the future) satisfy your need for fluff (this chapter is just the set-up for the fluff- and perhaps smut- later on, sorry). **

**Thanks, as always, to my amazing beta Lissa and my friend Tia for watching movies and inspiring me with snarky comments and pizza.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Haven't we covered this already?**

**Now, on to the story!**

* * *

Gajeel looked down at the Shrimp. She was tired, that much was obvious. She'd fallen asleep not soon after they'd started walking, and when he'd picked her up she'd barely protested. He wasn't sure whether he liked that or not.

Lily meowed and wound around his ankles impatiently. Sighing, Gajeel picked him up and sat the cat on his shoulder, stroking him absently.

'_Bad day at work?'_

"Awful," He muttered. "Another mage broke in."

'_Huh. You'll have to be more careful.' _Lily looked at the sleeping girl. _'Especially with her around_.'

"Tch. I can't be takin' care of the Shrimp all the time."

'_No,'_ his companion agreed. _'But I'm sure you'll try all the same.'_ And with that, he leaped from Gajeel's shoulder to the bed, and settled down next to Lizzy's blue locks.

He growled and was about to snap at the cocky bastard when Lizzy stirred and groaned. They both froze, watching her intently until her breathing evened out again.

Not that he cared about waking her up. It was just that she was tired and he didn't feel like listening to her bitch about being tired. Which she would, if she was woken up. Simple.

Lily eyed him skeptically and shook his head. _'You're pathetic.'_

"Excuse me?" Lizzy rustled and he lowered his voice. "What did you just say?"

'_You can't even admit it, can you?' _

"I dunno what yer talking about."

'_You _like _her.' _Lily sang smugly. _'I can see why, she's actually quite pretty._'

Gajeel sputtered. "Don't know what the hell yer talkin' about! Pretty, tch, as if!" He blustered and snorted, crossing his arms and sputtering about blue-haired dwarves.

'_Deny it all you want,_' he sniffed. '_But we both know it's true.'_

"And how would you know that?"

'_Because it's obvious, you metal-head!' _Lily stared at him condescendingly from where his head was resting. _'And speaking of metal, you should probably clean those up before she trips over them.'_ He eyed the pieces of rusted pipes in the corner of the room.

"Whatever." After sputtering some more, Gajeel walked over and started collecting the metals. Pausing, he turned back to the feline. "But only because I'm tired of tripping over this shit." Satisfied, he finished and walked over to the bathroom, unceremoniously throwing them inside.

'_Smooth.'_ Lily rolled his eyes.

Gajeel just glared.

* * *

She woke up again to a calloused hand shaking her, though not roughly.

"C'mon Shrimp," She heard him using that dreadful nickname and annoyance shot through her. "We gotta go, it's almost time for my shift at the ring." Moaning, she tried to burrow deeper into the mattress. It wasn't exactly soft, but it would have to do. And besides, she was so _tired_.

"Hey," He shook her again, a bit harder this time. "Look, unless you wanna stay here until I get back tomorrow-"

"M'fine." Trying to ignore the aching in her joints, especially her legs, she pushed herself up. She rubbed her eyes and peered at him groggily. "S'okay, I'm up." He stayed with her a moment to make sure she wasn't going to fall asleep, and then nodded grudgingly.

Smacking her lips a few times, she grimaced. Her tongue felt like sandpaper and no doubt she had awful breath. She stood up, wavering in place until the room stopped spinning, and then shuffled towards the bathroom. Her bladder felt like it was about to burst.

It was only when she was on the toilet that she noticed the pieces of metal littering the floor. How had she not stubbed her toe on those? Why were they even in here? Chalking it up to Gajeel's general weirdness, she sighed.

The shower called to her, but she figured there wasn't time. It was a shame, though. She probably stunk after the debacle at the bar. At the very least, she had to smell like booze.

After she finished she washed her hands thoroughly, making sure to scrub under her nails. She was about to head back out when she spied it: a toothbrush and a small tube of paste, probably a sample he'd swiped from somewhere.

No. She wouldn't- she _couldn't_.

She could practically feel the moss growing on her teeth.

It was so wrong, on so many levels.

It was just a toothbrush.

_His _toothbrush, though, and that was too personal.

He'd already seen her naked though, and he practically walked around in the nude anyway. How much more personal could they get?

Biting her lip, she called out to him nonchalantly, "When do we need to leave?"

"We still got a few minutes," came the faint reply. "Take yer time." A brief pause. "But not too much time."

She rolled her eyes and replied quickly, closing the door firmly. This was so wrong. She was violating his personal space on some level, even if he didn't realize it.

The toothbrush seemed to glare at her accusingly as she wet it and squeezed the paste out onto it. Hesitantly, she brought it to her mouth. _Oh, to hell with it, _she thought and shoved it in.

The bristles felt like heaven against her teeth, and she scrubbed away all the disgusting germs and imaginary moss gratefully. She almost moaned at the minty flavor that was enveloping her mouth. It felt so good to be clean again.

The alley had left her dirty and tainted, and while the shower had taken care of most of the grime, sometimes she still felt the sudden need to clean herself. She wondered idly if that urge would be a lasting feeling.

She hoped not. The urge would hit her at the most inconvenient of times, like when she was eating or laying on the floor hiding from a homicidal mage. Besides, they didn't have a lot of money, even with her added income. If she gave in to her urges every time they hit, it would certainly rack up the water bill.

_Maybe you and Gajeel could bathe together_, a voice whispered in the back of her mind. _That would cut down the water bill_.

Mm, it surely would. They would be here, in the bathroom, and she would have already made him admit he thought she was pretty. She could just imagine it, too…

_She was in the shower, just standing there. She'd already shampooed and conditioned, shaved and scrubbed, so she should get out, she knew. But the water felt so good. It was hot, almost scalding, and it soothed her aching muscles. _

_Suddenly, two strong arms slid around her waist. The action didn't surprise her, however, and she didn't have to turn to know red eyes would be staring at her, pinning her with that all-knowing stare. _

_He chuckled, and the sound reverberated through her back and downwards, bringing goosebumps to her arms. It was a delicious feeling, and she felt something stirring in her stomach. _

_Smiling, she turned around to face him. Sure enough, he was staring at her intently, grinning so that one fang was peeking out at her. The water was slowly taming his hair, and it fell around his shoulders in a dark waterfall. His piercings were winking at her mischievously, and she bit her lip as an urge to lean forward and lick them surfaced. _

_Heat rushed through her and swirled in her belly, and her breasts tightened. They'd done this before, she knew what would happen next. She wanted what would happen next. And he knew._

_His eyes dropped to her lips and his grin turned wolfish. He leaned down, caging her against the wall, and then-_

A fist banged against the door and she jumped, startled.

"Hey! You done in there yet?" She could hear the impatience in his voice.

"A-almost!" Her answer was shaky and she tried not to sound like his toothbrush was inside her mouth. Finishing quickly, she washed her mouth out and tried to arrange the brush and paste like she'd found them.

She was about to leave when she remembered the toothbrush, still dripping wet. "Uh…" Thinking quickly, she grabbed it and waved it around, hoping it would air dry. She didn't know if that was possible, but hopefully it would help.

"Oi, Shrimp! How long-" He was cut off abruptly as she yanked the door open, beaming at him.

"All done!" She chirped, and brushed past him quickly.

"The hell were you doing in there anyway?" He snapped.

"Nothing!" She smiled, albeit it was a little strained when he peered into the bathroom. "Just, you know… stuff…" Her hands waved around vaguely.

He grunted, unconvinced, and peered at her closely. "Yer not, uh… you know- right?" When she only stared at him with a strange look he tried again. "That is, um, are you…" He gestured downwards and cleared his throat. It might have been her imagination, but he actually looked a bit embarrassed. She could have sworn his ears were red. "Do you need some… girl stuff?"

"Oh- _oh_!" What he was asking became clear to her, and she could have laughed. He thought she was on her period. "No, I'm fine. I was just- um, it doesn't matter." She laughed tightly.

Clearing his throat, he looked towards the door. "We should probably be going then. Long walk and all…"

"Yeah, yeah, long walk." She nodded and headed out, stopping briefly to pet Lily and say goodbye.

The fighting ring was closer than she'd thought, closer than the bar and the garage had been. It was a short walk there, less than fifteen minutes. When they reached their destination, she knew why.

The ring wouldn't have fit in where the bar or garage was, as they could pass in middle class or even perhaps upper class areas. The ring, simply put, couldn't. The building reminded her of the bar, minus the neon signs and other bright lights. Instead of posters and advertisements, the walls had only bricks and red paint. There were a few rings- or what she guessed were rings- set up outside, but they seemed more temporary and impromptu than anything else.

It was as seedy as the inhabitants she saw walking by. Most of them were half-dressed, wearing fewer clothes than Gajeel even. A lot of them had scars and injuries; one man's cut was still dripping blood. The patrons openly stared at her, some curious and others seemingly hostile. She shuddered, inching closer to Gajeel, but none of them came near her. In fact, they seemed to give her a wide berth. Then again, it might have been the hulking behemoth she was clinging so desperately to.

Alcohol, most notably beer, also seemed to be common in this crowd. Beer in a cup, bottle, even a keg; it was everywhere. She supposed it wasn't that odd, given where they were, but _still_. She'd never seen so much alcohol in one place- and she'd just worked a shift at a _bar!_

They made their way inside the building, and she found that it was much like the outside. There was a bar, though certainly less regal than the other one. The room also wasn't dominated by the bar, but instead by pool tables and card games like poker. There also appeared to be a lot of betting going on, whether it was in relation to the amusements or something else. That something else seemed to be related to the small TV's stationed around the room. She didn't know why those TV's seemed so interesting though, all they did was list numbers and letters instead of shows.

Gajeel walked her over to the bar and she started when she saw Lyon was there again.

"Stay here. Lyon'll take care of ya. I'll come get you when it's time to go." He turned to go and she quickly grabbed his arm, stalling him.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"I work in the back." A quick nod to the back wall showed her what he meant. There was a large opening with only red curtains covering it. She could hear loud shouts and screams coming from behind it.

She had a pretty good guess as to what went on behind that curtain.

After she didn't respond, Gajeel gave a curt nod and left.

"He'll be fine." She gave a little screech of surprise and turned to see Lyon behind her holding another dirty dish rag.

"You scared me." Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she shifted nervously. Was she that transparent?

"Obviously," he replied drolly. "But like I said, he'll be fine." One shoulder lifted in a slow shrug.

A hesitant nod, and then, "But how do you know? What if he gets hurt?"

"Oh I already know he'll get hurt. It's part of the job." Lyon rolled his eyes and stared at her, amused. "But he'll be fine. He's one of our best." And with that he went back to serve the drunk man with a mohawk who was screaming at him.

Sighing, she grabbed a spare rag she spied and started wiping down the bar. She didn't know what type of wood it was- mahogany or oak or maybe maple. It was a beautiful grain though, lots of swirls and pretty patterns. As she wiped the bar down the swirls called to her, and she remembered the first time she'd woken up earlier that day…

"…_Takin' care… Shrimp all the time!" Gajeel's voice slowly punctured her warm state of sleep, and she heard muttering and growling to himself. _

_A pause and then, "Excuse me? What did you just say?" His voice was louder at first, and then got softer. It woke her almost completely up, and she moved a bit to try and focus. Everything seemed blurry, and his voice was muffled. _

"_I dunno… yer talkin' about." His voice was becoming clearer the harder she listened, though she still couldn't seem to make herself get up and alert them to her presence. _

"…_Pretty? Tch- as if." Her entire body froze. She'd heard that part loud and clear. _

_Gajeel might have talked some more, though she didn't know who he was talking to. All she could do was repeat those words over and over in her head. _

'_Shrimp? Pretty? As if. Shrimp? Pretty? As if. Shrimp? Pretty? As if.' _

_Over and over again those words repeated in her mind. He didn't think she was pretty. She didn't know why that bothered her so much. She wasn't interested in him; he wasn't interested in her. She'd always known this; he'd always known this. Besides, they'd known each other for only a few days, if that. So it shouldn't bother her. _

_But it did._

_But why? _

_She didn't know. She didn't have an answer. That bothered her. He bothered her. His words bothered her._

_Sleep was calling again. She didn't want to sleep, she wanted to listen some more. But she was tired; and her body didn't have the energy. Before she fell asleep however, she did have the energy to think- no, decide, one more thing. _

_He may not think she was pretty now. But he would. _

* * *

**And there it is! Like I mentioned in the first A/N, this is just a prelude to the fluff (among other things). Right now I'm sort of laying the foundation for everything. Sorry if it seems a bit slow or boring right now. **

**Review, review, REVIEW and you will get delicious dessert pizza! (I like the oreo pudding dessert pizza.)**

**Some things for this chapter:**

**#1. This story is rated M for a reason. If you're not into that sort of thing, or don't ship GaLe (if there are people out there crazy enough NOT to), I apologize. But this was just a taste of what's to come. I'm not very experienced with smut and such things, so I also apologize if the scene Levy imagined about her and Gajeel in the bathroom wasn't to your liking. **

**#2. Levy does have feelings for Gajeel. Gajeel has feelings for her. However, Levy is the only one who has actually acknowledged those feelings and decided to act on them (sort of). **

**#3. If you're still curious about the whole mage situation in society, it will be further explained in later chapters. Or will it? Ha! Suspense!**

**#4. How did you like Levy's dreams and flashbacks? How did they make you feel? What do you think Levy will do next? Why does Lyon keep popping up? How will Gajeel react to Levy's shenanigans? Review, and tell me what you think!**


	9. Of Blood and Beds

**OH DEAR GOD, MARY, AND JOSEPH! (Or Buddha or Allah or whatever else floats your boat.) I AM SO SORRY! I SAID IT LAST WEEK, AND SAID I WOULDN'T DO IT AGAIN, AND I DID IT! AGAIN! I AM SO SORRY! Weekly updates on Sundays, I told you, and here I am posting on Mondays and Tuesdays! I AM ASHAMED AND SO SORRY!**

**Again, really sorry, but hopefully this chapter will make up for it. Took me forever to finish because I kept re-writing the ending, but I'm happy with it now. Sort of. Maybe. Still debating. **

**S/O to Singer1108 who was a guest, but still left a review regaling my story and it's GaLe-ness. **

**Special thanks to my beta Lissa, whose eyes and pure, innocent soul I feel I have forever tainted with this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: Not mine, or this definitely would have happened in the manga and anime and tainted everyone else's eyes and souls.**

**WARNINGS (AS IN READ THIS IF NOTHING ELSE): Implied violence (fighting, bloodshed, bodily harm) and smut ahead. Skip this chapter if that's not your thing and I'll recap in the next chapter's beginning A/N. **

**Now, on to the story! (Sorry again!)**

* * *

It had been a total of seven hours since Gajeel had first walked behind the curtains in the back, and he hadn't appeared since. Lyon kept insisting he'd be fine, but she wasn't so sure. If he was fine, why hadn't he come back yet?

If Lily had been with her it might have soothed her nerves; even Candy would have sufficed. Any familiar face would have been nice. Lyon didn't count, as he never said anything more to her than was necessary. She supposed it was understandable though, as he didn't really know her. It probably didn't help that she'd shown up with Gajeel. Hell, she wouldn't have trusted anyone who'd shown up with someone like Gajeel either.

Thinking of Gajeel made her think back to her earlier resolve- _'He may not think she was pretty now. But he would.'_ She was still determined to make that happen… she just wasn't sure how. While she'd been sitting she'd tried to brainstorm, but nothing had popped up. Nothing worthwhile, anyway.

Maybe she should read some books to get a few ideas. The plan appealed to her, and she had an absurd thought for a moment that books held all the answers. Shaking her head, she smiled wryly. Obviously she'd been idle for too long.

With that, she pushed her peanuts away and picked her rag back up. She'd noticed Lyon had been too busy with patrons to wipe the bar clean of all the beer spills, so she started wiping it down. It had become sticky with alcohol, both dried and wet. There were also globs of other… fluids… that she didn't want to think too hard about the origin of. Pieces of paper also littered the top, along with the same type of peanuts she'd been munching on.

It took her awhile, but soon it was back to its former (semi-)glory. Lyon walked over, briefly inspected it, nodded, and went back to serving the patrons. She supposed that was as close to a 'thank you' as she was going to get. She'd take it.

A man hidden behind a hood walked over and plopped down on an empty stool, asking quietly for a beer and a bowl of peanuts, and she hurried to get them. He took them graciously and flipped his hood back, and she had to stifle a gasp of horror. He had large gauges in his cheeks, showing his teeth and gums. Catching her staring at them, he smiled grimly and clacked his teeth at her, laughing when she flinched back.

And just like that, Gajeel appeared and pulled her away from the man, growling at him. The man snapped his mouth shut and ducked his head.

"Thought I told you to watch her!" Gajeel snapped at Lyon over her head, still keeping a firm grip on her arm.

"I was busy," the white-haired man replied, deadpanned.

"Tch. Useless pretty boy." He muttered some more about pathetic barkeeps and dragged her over to the end of the bar. "Stay here. Be right back." She watched him walked over and reach behind where the alcohol was showcased, grabbing several water bottles and a can of peanuts.

"Alright, c'mon." He grabbed her again and they walked towards the doors. Gajeel smacked the man with cheek gauges on the back of his head on the way out.

It wasn't until later that she noticed the bruises.

They'd been walking down the streets for a few minutes, neither of them talking. It was early dawn, maybe later, but the sun hadn't quite come up over the horizon and conquered the skyscrapers yet. As such, the street lamps were still on. She thought that perhaps it was because of the lamps that she hadn't noticed before, what with the way the shadows fell over his face and disguised his marks.

But eventually they came to the slums, and there weren't any lamps there. The absence of those lamps coupled with the sun slowly inching upwards finally allowed her to see them.

They were all over him.

There were bruises over his chest and forearms, and an especially bad one across his jaw. Some were large, some small, and some were even the outline of handprints. She suspected there would be more on his stomach and legs, but couldn't see for sure.

"Gajeel," She began hesitantly, but he cut her off.

"Don't, Shorty. Just-" He sighed, and ran a hand over his face wearily. "Just don't."

She bit her lip and opened her mouth to say- anything, something, everything- but thought better of it. Instead, she slipped her hand into his.

Beside her, she could feel him tense up and pull his arm, as if to pull away. She gripped tighter, determined, and eventually he relaxed. She smiled to herself at the small victory.

After that, it was a short time before they arrived home.

It didn't get better after that. The bruises looked even worse in the light of the house, and she could see what had previously been hidden from her by the night.

There were bruises where she'd seen them and where she'd suspected there were. But there were also cuts. Small slashes that looked scarcely bigger than paper cuts and long rips where the skin had been torn apart or else taken off entirely, and everything in between. There was dried blood around some of the larger cuts, and even places where the blood was still swelling over the torn skin and dripping down.

She understood why he made her stay with Lyon.

It made her sick.

She pulled him over to the bed and gently pushed and pulled at him until he was seated on it. The water bottles and can of peanuts she took from him. Waiting until she was sure he'd stay seated, she walked into the kitchen. She put the water and food in a cabinet and looked around. There was only one bowl that she could quickly find, and she brought it into the bathroom with her. There wasn't much in the way of towels or cloths that she'd seen in there before, but he had to have something. She rooted around until she found a washcloth- it was frayed around the edges, and there was a hole in one of the corners, but it would have to do. She filled the bowl with warm water and sat the washcloth in it.

The water sloshed against the edges and occasionally dripped out when she walked back to him, still seated dutifully on the bed, and she tried to steady the bowl to preserve the water.

Gajeel eyed it suspiciously and followed her progress with narrowed eyes. The closer she got the more his mouth twisted into a grimace. She climbed onto the bed beside him slowly, so as to not startle him. He wasn't a deer or anything, but she felt the actions were appropriate somehow, as if he would bolt if she moved too quickly.

She dipped, wrung, and moved the cloth up just as slowly, and softly pressed it against his forehead. There was a fresh cut across his hairline, and a thin line of blood was trickling from it. He flinched when the washcloth made contact with his skin, but kept silent. She held it there until the blood clotted and then wiped the red lines from his face.

Over and over again she did this, starting at his forehead and traveling down.

His face was the most sensitive, and he fidgeted often as she moved from forehead to nose, cheek to cheek, chin to neck. There were barely any scrapes on his shoulders, but bruises dotted them frequently. She moved the cloth over them too, if just to try and soothe them. When she gently tugged at his vest, he only hesitated briefly before allowing her to pull it off him.

His chest had an equal amount of cuts and bruises and she ran over each one carefully, making sure to wipe away the blood and the sweat. She wished she could touch his chest with something other than the washcloth, wished she could soothe the hurt with her fingers (or perhaps something more). But that was neither here nor there, and she ducked her head and moved on, hoping Gajeel couldn't see the flush on her cheeks.

The rest of his upper body was much the same way: there were minor cuts and bruises, and some not-so-minor cuts and bruises. The worst of it was on his stomach, though. On the left side of his stomach was an especially nasty bruise, and there were tiny cuts scattered across the expanse of black and blue skin. There was also a small bulge near the middle of the bruise. When she touched it Gajeel hissed and swatted her hand away, but not before she'd felt how hard it was. She thought it was a rib, broken or at least fractured.

They faced a problem when she reached his lower body, however. He'd toed off his shoes when they walked in, and he'd taken off his vest for her already, but his trousers still remained. The washcloth hovered on his navel, and she eyed the trail of hair that ran from his bellybutton into his pants. He probably had boxers on, anyway. It wouldn't be a big deal. She'd seen a man without pants on before, right? She certainly couldn't remember, but who hadn't?

Biting her lip, she decided to just go for it. She'd grabbed the waistband and was about to pull when a large hand stopped her, and held her hand in place.

"That's enough, Shorty. I'll be fine."

"But there's more cu-"

"I'll be fine."

He gently removed her hands from his waist and sat them in her lap. Her hands clasped the washcloth tightly, fingers flexing every now and then. Water started dripping from the washcloth and she hurried to put it back in the bowl before it got the bed wet. The water in the bowl was dark with blood and grime.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. In the back of her mind she wondered where Lily had gone. She hoped he was safe. Gajeel sat beside her quietly, unmoving. Their shoulders touched. His skin was warm.

She wanted to touch more than his shoulder. Her fingers flexed again, and she itched to hold his hand again. Would he let her? Or would he pull his hand away? She liked to think he would let her. She liked to think he would let her touch a lot more than just his hand.

The bed creaked when he shifted beside her, and his voice was gruffer when he spoke. "I'll- uh, I can take that…" He gestured towards the bowl.

"No, it's fine. I can take it- you should rest," she hurried to add. "You should stay here and rest."

He brushed past her hands and grabbed the bowl despite her protests, muttering a sullen "I feel fine" and then briskly walking over to the sink and dumping it out. The washcloth he wrung out and laid over the side of the sink, leaving it to dry.

When he walked back he stood in front on her awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. His muscles flexed and pulled, along with his cuts. Under the dim lights, the cuts looked fresh again, and the torn muscles and ligaments in them glistened sickeningly.

"You can take the bed." She jumped up and brushed herself off absently. "You should really r-"

"If you say 'rest,'" He warned, "I'm going to smack you. I told ya, I feel fine."

She shut up. He really did need to rest, but if he didn't want to them she didn't want to nag him about it. That might stress him out, and she didn't want to do that either. Although he really did need to rest…

"At least lay down for a bit!" She blurted out. Honestly, she didn't mean to say it, it just popped out. "You don't have to for very long, just- mph!" She cut off as Gajeel slapped his hand over her mouth. His hand covered the entire bottom half of her face, it was so large. She could feel callouses and scars from where parts of his hand rested on her cheeks.

He leaned forward and she tried to shrink back, but his hand kept her in place. "I said I'm fine Shrimp. Shut up about it already, would ya?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. He did need to rest, whether he realized it or not. And she was going to tell him so, as soon as she managed to get his hand off her face. A list of ways to accomplish this scrolled through her mind, and she picked out the one she figured would be most effective.

"The fuck-!" Gajeel ripped his hand away from her and stared at it, then back at her. "Did you just _lick_ me?" He asked incredulously.

"Don't look at me like that, you brought this on yourself." She sniffed at him and wiped her mouth as delicately and discreetly as possible. "And besides," Her arms crossed and she gave him her best glare. "It's true. You've got adrenaline running through you now, and it's clouding your judgment. For all you know y-" She cut off and squealed as Gajeel pushed her back onto the bed and climbed on top of her.

His arms landed on either side of her head, essentially trapping her in. She could feel his body nestle on top of hers, putting pressure on her but not so much as to make it uncomfortable. Just enough so that she could feel him.

And, _oh God_, could she feel him. She could feel the hard expanse of his chest and abs, and every time he breathed it pushed his chest against hers. She could feel her own chest start to tighten and tingle in response, and was sure he could feel it when her nipples started to harden. They pebbled through her clothes and she squirmed when they started to ache, only to bite her lip and tense up. When she squirmed it pushed them against the rough fabric of her clothes, and that in turn made them ache more.

She felt heat start to form and expand in her body, felt the heat spread down to her breasts and her nether regions. It pooled there and she squirmed again, relishing in the scratching against her nipples and the dampness between her thighs.

He leaned down and his lips ghosted over hers, and then retreated. She could feel him looking at her, probably expecting her to push him away.

_He may not think she was pretty now._

She pulled him back, pulled him closer.

_But he would_.

His lips met hers again, and this time they didn't retreat. They moved against hers, easy and soft. Her head slanted and she could have sobbed at the difference it made.

One of his hands moved up and cupped her jaw, his thumb dropping down to stroke her throat. It tickled and she gasped, surprised. She gasped again when he slipped his tongue in and stroked hers.

Their legs were tangled together, one of his wedged between hers. The dampness between her thighs increased until she could feel it start to soak through her underwear. She squirmed again but it wasn't enough, not nearly enough, so she threw her inhibitions into the wind and tried something else. Using her hips and legs for leverage, she thrust up and rubbed against his leg. It shot a bolt of pleasure through her and she broke away from the kiss to moan.

Gajeel caught on quickly and used his leg to push her open wider, thrusting against her at the same time. Another bolt shot through her and the wetness increased, along with the feeling of pressure. She tried to pull her thighs together to rub them around his leg, but without any success. All she managed to do was clench around his leg and soak her underwear even more thoroughly. She could feel it start to drip down her lips and pool under her.

He thrust again and she threw her head back, biting her lip to stifle her sounds. She shifted on the bed and clenched around the fabric of her panties, rubbing against them desperately.

A dark chuckle came from Gajeel, and his chest rumbled against hers. Her nipples twisted and ached again, needing more friction than her dress.

Their rutting became more frantic and forceful, and she whined loudly. She could feel it, she was getting more sensitive, she felt herself _throbbing_. Every time he pushed against her she pushed back and clamped onto him. There was a wet spot on the bed underneath her, and her pussy and ass were coated in her juices, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. If anything, it only increased her pleasure. She could feel the wetness sloshing against her every time they humped and she reveled in the slickness. It felt so good- Gajeel's hardness and the wetness and she was so close she could just feel it and suddenly it was _there_, so close she just had to reach and then she was falling and then-

She arched off the bed and spasmed, there was no other word for it, as the waves of pleasure rocked over her. If not for the fact that her throat seemed to close in on itself, she was sure would have been screaming, too. As it was, the only thing she could do was emit choked-off moans.

Gajeel thrust one more time, making her now overly-sensitive parts clench again, and then groaned long and low. She supposed that meant it had been good for him, too- or at least she hoped that was what it meant.

Exhaustion was starting to pull at her, and she struggled to stay awake. _I should say something, _she thought. _That's what people do after… whatever that was. They talk. Right? _

But Gajeel didn't seem to be in the mood for talking, as he slumped over her. He made sure to land partially on his side though, so as to not crush her. She appreciated that, though she didn't mind the weight of his head or arms on her. It felt nice.

Sleep was tugging again, and since he didn't seem to be very talkative she started to let herself slip. She'd probably be sore or sorry or something like that in the morning, but that was then and this was now. And right now she was tired, and so was he.

As she finally drifted off, she heard him mutter something into her ear, and a rush of exasperation ran through her. She didn't know whether to kiss him again or smack him. The words played over in her mind and settled for deciding in the morning.

"_I feel fine."_

* * *

**Well then. Not sure what to write here, other than that I apologize for any emotional distress inflicted (whether because of the feels or the bad writing). **

**Review, review, REVIEW and you will get beautifully spongy and yellow twinkies!**

**Some things for this chapter:**

**#1. You can probably tell I'm not a big smut writer. It's pretty obvious by the cheesy/bad/totally amateur writing, and again I apologize. Got any tips? Like it, love it, totally hate it? Review, and tell me whatcha think!**

**#2. This chapter is part dark/gory fluff and all-out lime. If you think it's a waste or it's not your thing, sorry.**

**#3. This escalated quickly. Yes, I admit it. But emotions were running high, for both our main characters. Levy was shocked at such violence, Gajeel was feeling vulnerable because no one's ever been upset on his behalf. Things snowballed, and we see what happened. If this seems OOC or anything, sorry. (P.S.- reviews would help fix that sort of thing ;) Just sayin'.)**


	10. Brick Walls and Red Waterfalls

**Hello my lovelies, and isn't this a nice surprise? This chapter is actually on time this week- yes, you read that right, it's being published on a Sunday! Pretty late, but it still counts! (BTW, who's watching Falling Skies right now? Awesome start to the new season, amiright?) **

**S/O to Singer1108- I hope this satisfied your curiosity as to how the situation would be handled: unintentional avoidance, of course! What else? ;)**

**Special thanks to my amazing beta Lissa for her wonderful skills, and to an old reviewer YuaShizuka who inspired chapters like these. **

**Disclaimer: Not mine :( If it was, Gajeel and Levy would totally be together and having babies right now. **

**Now, on to the story!**

* * *

_She was lying on the ground, arm outreached towards the car that was overturned a few feet away from her. _

_There was blood dripping from somewhere above her eye, clouding her vision with red. _

_Her body should hurt, she knew that; but it didn't. Numbness was the only feeling she could register. Her entire body was numb, and something else- she couldn't remember, though, so she focused on the numbness. Was that a good thing, that she was focusing on the numbness? She didn't know. Maybe she should focus on something else._

_She was sideways. There, that was something else. She was lying on the ground sideways, and there was blood dripping over her eye, and she was numb. One arm was underneath her head- or her head or her body or _somewhere_ she didn't know because she couldn't feel that arm, not even the numbness- and the other was outstretched towards the car. She assumed her legs were just lying there, like her. She should look- that would make sense that would be rational- but her eyes wouldn't move away from the car and there was blood and her vision was tinged with red and so she didn't look at her legs. Instead she looked at the car._

_The car was in worse shape than she- it was upside down, whereas she was just sideways. That meant it was worse off- right? Right. _

_The windows were broken, glass littered everywhere. The car itself was also broken, full of dents and scrapes and gashes. The red paint had been scratched off in some places- or was it the blood making the car red? One of the doors were torn off, the one that opened to the backseat. She couldn't see where the door had gone. But she could see into the backseat. The seats were torn and stuffing was starting to spill out, though it hadn't fallen out onto the ground yet. It was just bunched up near the seat opening, waiting for more stuffing to give the bunch the weight it needed to fall. Like rain in the clouds. Or blood._

_There were people in the backseat. They were upside down, suspended in the air, held in place by seat belts. Why hadn't the seat belts broken? She would have thought they weren't strong enough to hold people like that. Two boys actually, not people. Two boys held in place by suspiciously strong seat belts. They didn't seem to be awake like she was._

_Was she awake? She thought so. But she also felt… not-awake. Was that possible? To be awake and also not-awake? _

_One of the boys turned awake-not-awake like her. He was staring at her. His arm twitched. He kept staring at her. The other boy stayed just not-awake. _

_He blinked at her, so she blinked back at him. Was that how he communicated? Through blinks? Or was he trying to speak to her through his mind? Was he speaking to her through his mind but she couldn't understand it? That had to be it. She probably couldn't understand because she was awake-not-awake and he was awake. And the other boy was not-awake. _

_The ground was dark around the car. She didn't know why, or with what. Maybe it was blood. If it was, the ground was probably dark around her too. _

_The awake boy's mouth was moving. His lips were bleeding now, and the drops were falling onto his cheeks. It looked strange. Like he was crying blood upside down. Was that possible?_

_She couldn't hear him, even though he was talking. She couldn't hear anything. There should be noise, she knew- right? Maybe not. She couldn't remember what noise sounded like. Was it a good sound or a bad sound? If it was bad she didn't want to hear noise. _

_His eyes were crinkling, and his mouth had stopped moving. She got the sense that he was unhappy somehow. She wondered why. What did he have to be unhappy about? Perhaps it was because of the blood dripping over his eyes. Like her. She had blood in her eyes. He had blood in his eyes. _

_That made them the same. Right?_

_He was talking again. Maybe. Possibly. His mouth only made one movement, over and over again. Was that talking? Was that noise? She didn't want to hear noise. _

_But she heard that. _

_She heard something. A sound. A noise._

_But she didn't want to hear noise. Did she? She couldn't remember._

_She heard it again. It was strange. The noise was strange. It came and went, in waves. She could hear it and then she couldn't and then she could. Its pitch changed, too. It was high-pitched most of the time, but occasionally dropped. She could hear it- high pitched- and then she couldn't and then she could- low pitched- and then she couldn't and then she could- high pitched. Was that strange?_

_She felt strange. _

_Or did she? _

_Was this normal? The numbness and not moving and red everywhere and strange noises. Maybe it was. Maybe this was normal when one was awake-not-awake. _

_The boy was staring at her again, and he hadn't stopped talking._

_The blood hadn't stopped either. It was dripping from his lips and from his mouth- not dripping from his mouth. Dripping from his lips and pouring from his mouth. Yes, that was right. Pouring from his mouth. It was flowing over his tongue and teeth and lips- where it was still dripping just drip drip drip- and falling over his face. It was coating his face, red everywhere, and it wasn't just her red-tinged vision no this was him this was his blood and it was red everywhere._

_She wanted to look away. She didn't like this she didn't like red she didn't want to watch-_

_But she was- she was watching. _

_The blood was pouring over his face, red waves, and she thought it would have been fast- it was _pouring_ for the love of God- but it wasn't it was slow._

_Slowly it ran down and covered his entire face, slowly so she could see everything as it was covered. His lips- drip drip drip- they were covered and she could see their outline still see the blood dripping from them- drip drip drip- and adding to the waves. His cheekbones- so sharp they were like pikes but pikes were meant to defend and these had not stopped the blood so she didn't know what to call them- and then his cheeks- so long and never-ending and so smooth- and then his eyes- she wanted to know what color they were but all she could see and remember was red but she couldn't remember that was the problem and- and then his whole face was red red blood red. _

_He talked through it all, through the blood and drip and pikes and red eyes he talked and she couldn't understand what he was saying and the noise was growing louder and it hurt her ears and-_

_She'd thought the blood slow like a disease like a leech but suddenly his face was red red blood red and it seemed it had been no time at all. _

_She didn't like this. She wanted to be awake and not awake-not-awake but real-awake. _

_The blood was dripping off of him like it had from his lips, just drip drip drip._

_She wanted to wake up._

_A red stream falling from him drip drip drip._

_She needed to wake up._

_So much red. _

_Wake up._

_Drip._

_Wake up._

_Drip._

_Wake up._

_Drip._

_Wake up wake up wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeupwake-_

"Wake up!"

She bolted up and looked around, panting. "Wha- what is it?" Her voice was hoarse and scratchy.

Gajeel was looming over her, face pale and sweaty. "Sorry for the rude awakening, Shrimp. But I need-" He doubled over, clutching his side.

"Gajeel!" She shot out of the bed in alarm. "What is it, what's wrong?" Her hands fluttered around him, unsure. He was hurt, she knew that, but she didn't want to touch him in the wrong place lest she make it worse.

"M'side," He grunted out.

The realization hit her suddenly and she internally cursed herself- how could she have forgotten? The bulge on the left side of the stomach, the rib was that hopefully just fractured but also maybe broken.

"Let me see." She moved his arm away from his chest and recoiled in shock. The bulge was no longer a bulge; the rib had broken through the skin- not by much, but enough so that she could see it. Whitish-gray, covered in red. She wasn't a nurse, but she knew that probably wasn't good.

"Gajeel…" She started, but was unsure of how to finish. He needed a doctor- or a nurse or _someone_ medical, even a vet would do- but they didn't have the money for one. Medical people were expensive, and she didn't know where the nearest free clinic was, or even if there was one.

He nodded though, as if he understood, and straightened up with a grimace. She started protesting, only to have him grab her and walk out of the house. There was a slight limp to his gait and he kept one hand on his side, but otherwise he gave no indication of being hurt. She knew he was though, by the way his shoulders were hunched and his features twisted into a grimace.

"Where are we going?" She hadn't been this way before, but he seemed to be familiar with it.

"Porlyuscia."

Any more questions she might have asked were lost when he yanked her along faster. His limp was growing more pronounced, and he was leaning in on himself more and more. They darted down a random alley and quickly walked down it.

When they came to the end, she looked up in dismay. It was a dead end, there was nowhere to go and nothing around them, excepting the massive brick wall in front on them. There were no ground-floor apartments like Gajeel's around, just windows and trash. There weren't even any fire escapes or balconies.

"-the wall." Gajeel huffed something, and she leaned closer. "Go up the wall." He leaned against the brick wall and looked up, then back at her.

"What? Go up the wall, what wall?" She looked around helplessly. There weren't ladders or stairs on any of the walls, she couldn't possibly scale any of them.

"Brick wall." He looked at the wall and then her again. "Jump."

"…Jump." She looked at the huge wall that Gajeel was now leaning against heavily, still clutching his side. "Right." A blush came over her and she tried not to cringe. As absurd as it sounded, she really didn't want to jump in front of him, especially when she knew how ridiculous she'd look. _Stupid_, she chided herself. _He saw you covered in trash, he saw you hide behind a bathtub, he kissed you, he watched you _orgasm_! It can't get much worse at this point! _

She still didn't want to jump when he was watching.

But that was selfish, and irrational. He'd done so much for her already, this was the least she could do. Crouching down, she bunched her muscles and pushed up as forcefully as possible. She didn't even come close to reaching the top of the wall. She'd jumped one, _maybe_ two, feet in the air. If that. Frowning in concentration, she tried again. And again. And again. Each time her fingers brushed endless brick, never nearing the top.

"Ugh!" She screeched in frustration, stamping her foot. A shock of cold shot through her and she screeched again, this time in surprise. Looking down, she sighed resignedly. One of her feet had landed in a puddle. And of course, her feet were bare due to… earlier activities. She blushed again, and internally cursed herself. She shouldn't be embarrassed.

She tried once more, giving it everything she had, before letting her head drop to the wall in defeat. "Gajeel, I can't do it. I can't jump high enough. I'm sorry." He didn't answer her and she ground her forehead against the bricks. "Look, I know what you're going to say, okay? But I can't do it, I'm too small and weak and- and I just can't! I'm sorry." Still nothing from Gajeel. "Will you at least _answer_ me?" She looked over at him. "Shit."

Gajeel was no longer leaning against the wall, or even upright. He was on the ground, slumped over, arms crossed over his midsection. "Gajeel?" She walked over to him, bending down to get a better look at his face. It was still pale, though the skin was more clammy than sweaty now. She touched one of his cheeks with the back of her hand, but quickly jerked it back when his head lolled to the side. "Gajeel!" He was unconscious. Grabbing his head again, she shook him gently. No response. He was breathing evenly at least, and she thought that was a good sign. But she wasn't a doctor. She had no medical training whatsoever; her answer for anything regarding wounds was warm water and a band-aid.

The wall loomed behind them, and she gave it one last desperate glance. But no, she wouldn't be able to do it. There was no way. Which left one thing. She cursed herself.

"Help! Please somebody, help us!" Her voice bounced off the buildings around her and echoed. "Please, help!" There was no answer. Silence pressed in around her, suffocating them. "Help!" Gajeel didn't stir, despite her desperate screaming. "Please, somebody, anybody! Help!"

"Is somebody in there?" A voice came from the opening of the alley, faint but real.

"Yes, yes! Please, in here!" She grasped Gajeel frantically. "Please, my friend needs help!"

"Okay, don't worry." The voice floated back to her again, stronger this time. "I'm coming." Footsteps echoed, and a young boy appeared in front of her suddenly, as if materializing out of thin air. He had dark hair and blue eyes, but was surprisingly pale. He crouched down in front of them, reaching out hesitantly. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know, I don't-" She stopped, trying to collect herself. "Please, we need help. There's a woman, I don't remember her name, but-"

"It's okay," the boy interrupted her. "Here, hold him for a second." He slung his backpack from off his shoulders and started rummaging through it. "Is he conscious?"

"No, he's not."

"Check his pupils, tell if they're unusually dilated."

She nodded and grasped his head firmly, gently trying to pry open one of his eyes. "I can't see, they might be but-" A shriek left her as two hands covered her mouth and nose. Her hands flew backwards, yanking against the boy, scrabbling for purchase, for something to _yank_ on to just make him let go.

He had something covering the lower half of her face, and she tried to jerk her head away from it. She couldn't breathe, couldn't get any air. She gasped desperately and immediately regretted it, choking on the material covering her. As soon as she'd opened her mouth these _fumes_ had swarmed in, forcing themselves down her throat.

Her hands clenched against the boy's arms, scratching feebly. Something was wrong. She couldn't grasp anything properly anymore. Her limbs felt heavy and oversized.

The boy reached one arm around and gently pried her hands off of him. They dropped easily enough, and she couldn't find the strength to move them again. He covered her eyes with his free hand, and shushed her.

"Hush, now, it's okay." His voice was distorted when it came to her, morphing from the boyish lilt to a deep slur. "It'll be okay soon."

_No, _she thought. But even her thoughts seemed slow and heavy. _This isn't right. I need to… I need to…_

She could dimly feel him remove the material and his hands from her face, instead moving them to grip her arms and torso. Her eyes opened just enough to see the world tilt on its axis, spinning and turning.

Then she was lying on the ground. One arm was underneath her, and the other was outstretched towards Gajeel.

_Wake up._

* * *

**And there it is! This chapter was a little bit weird, I know, but it gets more normal near the end... sort of. **

**Review, review, REVIEW and you will get wonderful mint oreo ice cream! (Or just mint if you don't like oreos, or just oreo if you don't like mint. If you like neither mint nor oreo I cannot acknowledge your existence. Haha, I kid- sort of.)**

**Some things for this chapter:**

**#1. The first part of this chapter is a dream, just to clarify. That may not be obvious, which is why I am explaining it here. To those of you who will read this chapter, skip this A/N, and then review with questions about what the heck was going on during the first part of this chapter: you disappoint me. **

**#2. What do you think happened to Gajeel? Is the wound infected, did the rib puncture something? Review, and tell me what you think!**

**#3. Who is this strange child that attacked Levy after promising her help? He's certainly rude, for one thing. Review and tell me, I'm always pleasantly surprised by reader suggestions and speculations. **


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